>>> WELCOME BACK TO "TODAY." SAVANNAH, YESTERDAY YOU SHARED
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION WITH
MORGAN AND BOTH MILLER ABOUT
CHILDREN DROWNING.
CHILDREN DROWNING. >> SO MANY HAVE REACHED OUT.
IN THE MIDST OF THEIR GRIEF THEY
HAVE FOUND A FRIENDSHIP WITH A
WOMAN NAMED NICOLE HUGHES, A
WOMAN THERE TENNESSEE.
SHE UNDERSTANDS THEIR PAIN TOO
WELL.
WELL. NOW MORGAN AND NICOLE ARE TWO
MOMS ON A CRITICAL MISSION.
>> SHE HAD THIS FIERCE
PERSONALITY BUT WAS SUCH A GIRL.
>> WHEN YOU THINK OF BODE AND
YOU THINK OF HIS SKIING AND THE
PASSION HE BROUGHT ONTO THE
HILL, TAKE THAT AND PUT IT INTO
A TINY LITTLE 19-MONTH-OLD
BLONDE HAIR, BLUE EYED GIRL THAT
CAN CREATE CHAOS AND BRING IT.
THAT WAS EMMY.
BODE, I MEAN, SHE WAS HIS
PERSON.
PERSON. >> HI DADA.
HI DADA.
HI DADA. >> HE WAS SPOILED.
HE WAS CHERISHED.
HE WAS OUR FINAL BABY.
HE WOULD ASK ME EVERY NIGHT, I
WOULD GIVE HIM A HUG AND SAY,
MOM, THAT WASN’T ALL THE HUGS.
I WANT ALL THE HUGS AND ALL THE
KISSES.
KISSES. IT IS HARD TO THINK THAT IT IS
NOT TEMPORARY, THAT WE WILL NOT
SEE HIM AGAIN.
>> MORGAN MILLER AND NICOLE
HUGHES ARE TWO MOTHERS WHO
UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER’S
UNRELENTING PAIN.
UNRELENTING PAIN. >> I’M SO GRATEFUL THAT WE’VE
MET.
MET. UNFORTUNATELY IT’S UNDER THE
WORST OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
SPEAKING TO A MOTHER WHO HAS
LOST A CHILD, YOU DON’T NEED TO
EXPLAIN IT.
EXPLAIN IT. >> PARTICULARLY WITH US, WITH
OUR SITUATIONS BEING SO SIMILAR.
>> NICOLE, CAN YOU SHARE AS MUCH
OR AS LITTLE AS YOU WANT TO
ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO LEVI.
>> EVERY SINGLE YEAR WE GO TO
THE SAME BEACH IN FORT MORGAN,
ALABAMA.
ALABAMA. WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT ALL YEAR.
SIX FAMILIES, 17 KIDS.
ON JUNE 10th, THAT MORNING, THAT
ENTIRE DAY I TOOK WATER SAFETY
VERY SERIOUSLY.
VERY SERIOUSLY. EVERY SINGLE PICTURE, EVERY
FINAL PICTURE I HAVE OF LEVI, HE
IS IN A LIFEJACKET.
>> THAT NIGHT NICOLE DRESSED HER
3-YEAR-OLD SON LEVI IN HIS
BRIGHT GREEN CRAB HUNTING SHIRT.
>> LEVI WAS SO PROUD.
HE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE
EXCITED.
EXCITED. WE WALKED BACK OVER TO ONE SIDE
OF THE HOUSE.
EVERYBODY WAS IN THERE, 12
ADULTS, MOST OF THE KIDS.
WE’RE ALL JUST OVER THERE KIND
OF CLEANING UP AND WAITING FOR
IT TO GET DARK.
NO ONE WAS DRINKING.
I WASN’T ON MY PHONE.
I WAS WIPING UP SPAGHETTI Os.
>> LEVI ASKED FOR A SNACK AND
NICOLE GAVE HIM AN EXTRA TREAT.
>> I’M GOING TO GIVE HIM THIS
BROWNIE.
BROWNIE. I BROKE IT IN HALF.
IT WAS VERY SMALL.
PUT HALF OF IT IN HIS BOWL,
WATCHING TV WITH ALL THE KIDS,
SITTING ON THE COUCH WATCHING
TV.
TV. AND THEN I DON’T KNOW.
I HAVE RELIVED THIS, RETRACED MY
STEPS, WHAT WAS I EVEN DOING.
I DON’T KNOW.
I PUT THE BROWNIE IN MY MOUTH.
I DIDN’T SIT DOWN.
I DIDN’T HAVE A CONVERSATION
WITH ANYBODY.
WITH ANYBODY. I SAID, WELL, I’M GOING TO GO --
I ASSUMED LEVI WAS SITTING ON
THE COUCH.
THE COUCH. I KNEW MY MIDDLE DAUGHTER WAS ON
THE OTHER SIDE WITH MY OLDER
DAUGHTER AND I WAS GOING TO GO
PUT HER CRABBING SHIRT ON HER.
I’M GOING TO DO THIS QUICKLY.
I WALKED OUT OF HEAVY DOORS AND
INTENTIONALLY, BECAUSE I ALWAYS
DID, BECAUSE I TOOK WATER SAFETY
SERIOUSLY, INTENTIONALLY LOOKED
OVER THE BALCONY AND SAW MY SON
IN HIS CRAB HUNTING SHIRT AT THE
END OF THE POOL.
>> WITHIN SECONDS NICOLE HAD
LEVI OUT OF THE WATER.
THERE WERE SIX DOCTORS IN THEIR
VACATION HOUSE, INCLUDING LEVI’S
DAD, BUT THEIR EFFORTS TO SAVE
HIM WEREN’T ENOUGH.
>> I JUST NEEDED ONE MINUTE.
I JUST NEEDED ONE MINUTE.
IF I COULD HAVE JUST HAD THAT
ONE MINUTE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN
OKAY.
OKAY. HOW DID HE EVEN GET OUT?
>> ARE YOU EATING A MINION ICE
CREAM?
CREAM? >> I WANT TO HELP YOU SHOUT IT
TO THE WORLD THAT IT REALLY JUST
TAKES A SECOND.
>> IT IS TRULY SECONDS.
I WAS STILL THE BROWNIE THAT WAS
IN MY MOUTH I HAD SPLIT WITH
LEVI, I WAS STILL NOT FINISHED
EATING IT WHEN I JUMPED IN THE
WATER TO GET HIM.
THAT IS HOW QUICKLY HE GOT AWAY
FROM US AND HOW QUICKLY HE
DROWNED.
DROWNED. >> THAT SAME DAY JUNE 10th THAT
LITTLE LEVI HUGHES DROWNED
ACROSS THE COUNTRY EMMY MILLER
LOST HER LIFE AS WELL.
>> TOGETHER YOU’VE BEEN ABLE TO
HARNESS THIS ENERGY TO HELP
OTHERS, WHICH I THINK IS
EXTRAORDINARY IN AND OF ITSELF.
WHERE DOES THE WORK NEED TO BE
DONE?
DONE? ON THE ONE HAND EVERYONE KNOWS
THAT WATER CAN BE DANGEROUS.
ON THE OTHER HAND NOBODY SEEMS
TO TAKE IT AS SERIOUSLY AS IT
NEEDS TO BE TAKEN.
>> IT’S THE INTENSITY BEHIND THE
CONVERSATION.
CONVERSATION. IT IS 100% PREVENTIBLE.
>> PEOPLE I THINK ARE LETTING
THEIR GUARD DOWN BECAUSE THEY
DON’T REALIZE THEIR GUARD STILL
NEEDS TO BE UP.
>> WE NEED TO THINK OF THIS BODY
OF WATER AS A LOADED GUN.
>> YOU NEED TO THINK OF WATER
DIFFERENTLY.
DIFFERENTLY. YOU’RE SITTING HERE AND I’M
LOOKING OUTSIDE AT MY POOL AND
THAT IS A LION.
A LION THAT IS A KIDNAPPER, THAT
IS SOMETHING THAT COULD TAKE MY
CHILD IN 30 SECONDS.
THE MOMENT THOSE 30 SECONDS ARE
UP, THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOU
GETTING YOUR CHILD BACK IS
PRETTY CLOSE TO ZERO.
>> MORGAN AND NICOLE ARE HOPING
TO WORK WITH THE AMERICAN
ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS TO LAUNCH
A CAMPAIGN THAT WOULD INCREASE
PARENT AWARENESS ABOUT HOW AND
WHEN DROWNING OCCURS.
>> ONE WEEK AFTER WE LOST LEVI,
MY HUSBAND AND I WERE SITTING
OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE. HE FOUND STATISTICS ON CDC.
WHEN HE READ THEM TO ME, IT WAS
LIKE OUR HEARTS BROKE ALL OVER
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >> BOTH MOTHERS WANT WATER
SAFETY CONVERSATIONS TO BE PART
OF ALL PEDIATRIC CHECKUPS.
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
PEDIATRICS TELLS NBC NEWS THEY
WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PARTICIPATE WITH THE FAMILIES ON
A NATIONAL DROWNING PREVENTION
PROJECT.
PROJECT. >> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S
GOING TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT
50 YEARS.
50 YEARS. SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE
STATISTICS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
RATE OF DROWNING DECLINES IN A
WAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE
HAPPY WITH.
HAPPY WITH. I GUESS YOU COULD SAY IT’S MAMA
FUEL, MAMA FIRE TO PUSH IT
FORWARD.
FORWARD. >> TWO MOMS ON A MISSION.
>> TWO MOMS ON A MISSION.
>>> EACH MOMENT THEY BOTH SAY IS
A CHOICE TO MOVE FORWARD DOING
THEIR BEST TO CARE FOR THEIR
FAMILIES, HONOR THE BABIES THEY
LOST, AND NOW LOOK OUT FOR ONE
ANOTHER.
ANOTHER. >> WE ARE SISTERS ON A LEVEL
THAT I PRAY NO OTHER WOMEN NEED
TO FIND.
TO FIND. >> I DON’T THINK THERE WAS MORE
OF A DESCRIPTIVE MOMENT THAN
WHEN SHE TALKED ABOUT THAT
BROWNIE IN HER MOUTH, ALL OF A
SUDDEN UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES
IT.
IT. IT TOOK THAT MUCH TIME.
>> IT’S SO QUICK.
SHE DIDN’T EVEN HAVE TIME TO
SWALLOW.
SWALLOW. THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST
COURAGEOUS WOMEN AND BODE, TOO,
THAT I HAVE EVER MET, THAT THEY
ARE REACHING UP AND OUT OF THEIR
GRIEF.
GRIEF. I’VE SEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT
COMMENTS.
COMMENTS. THERE’S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS
TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD.
SOME PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOU CAN
PUT YOUR LITTLE BABY, INFANT
BABY IN WATER SURVIVAL.
LOOK INTO THAT.
YOU CAN PUT A FENCE UP.
DO THAT.
DO THAT. THE POINT IS THAT THERE ARE
MANY, MANY WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR
CHILD FROM WATER.
I THINK WHAT I AM MOST STRUCK BY
IS THAT WE ALL NEED TO CHANGE
OUR MIND-SET ABOUT IT.
IT’S NOT JUST WHEN YOU’RE
SWIMMING.
SWIMMING. OFTEN IT’S NOT.
IT’S WHEN YOU THINK THAT DOOR IS
CLOSED AND YOU’RE INSIDE
WATCHING TV AND IT’S 6:00 AT
NIGHT AND YOU TURN AROUND
BECAUSE THE PHONE IS RINGING.
IT’S THAT FAST.
BODE SAID TO ME, IF YOU HAVE THE
MIND-SET THAT IT CAN’T HAPPEN TO
ME, THAT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS
MIND-SET YOU CAN HAVE.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM FOR
TALKING.
TALKING. >> YES.
>> YES. >> THEY HAVE CHANGED ME.
I SAID IT BEFORE, REALLY CHANGED
MY MIND-SET, AND I REALLY HOPE
WE CAN SPREAD THE WORD AND MAKE
THIS A CHANGE MOMENT.
MORGAN TALKED ABOUT HOW BACK IN
THE ’80s AND ’90s THERE WAS THE
BACK TO BED CAMPAIGN, START
PUTTING YOUR BABY ON YOUR BACK,
CUTDOWN AND DRAMATICALLY REDUCED
SIDS DEATH.
SIDS DEATH. WE CAN DO THAT.
I FEEL INSPIRED BY THEM AND I
HOPE WE CAN PASS IT ON.
>> WE LEARNED A LOT.
>> BY THE WAY, WE’VE GOT MORE ON
THEIR STORY IF YOU’RE INTERESTED
ALONG WITH REALLY GOOD DROWNING