VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Every year, hundreds of children die from drowning — WTKR News 3 continues to follow the story of a local mother who has made it her mission to prevent these deaths in our area.
"It literally is 30 seconds and your life is changed forever," said Kim Bianchi, president of the Bean's Way Foundation.
This nonprofit raises money to get kids — as young as six months old — aquatic survival lessons. Their goal is to educate the community regarding water safety for children, as drowning is the leading cause of death for kids ages 1 to 4, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
It takes seconds for a child to drown, and Bianchi knows this unbearable pain.
Her little girl, 2-and-a-half year-old Gabriella, whom they called "Bean," drowned back in 2019.
"Bean was such a firecracker," Bianchi said. "She was the kid that was on the playground and wanted to make sure all the other kids had someone to play with. She was not just feisty, but she was loving."
Tragically, in August 2019, while Bianchi was in the bathroom, Bean somehow fell in the pool and drowned.
"There's no splashing around like the movies. I didn't know any of these things until I lost Bean," Bianchi said.
Since then, the Bianchi family started the nonprofit Bean's Way Foundation, which has had over 200 kids come through the program.
Bianchi is now certified to give aquatic survival lessons and has devoted her life to preventing future tragedies.
"We don't want other families to go through what we go through," she said.
On Aug. 16, they will host a Bean's Way Fun Run at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. This event will feature vendors and music to help support their cause.
