You never fully recover from losing a loved one, especially if it's your child. All you can do is try to heal as much as possible, then help ensure others never suffer like you have.
Two months after their young daughter passed away, Bode Miller's wife Morgan has shared a gut-wrenching photo of their now-deceased daughter, apparently taken the day of the accident, with the hope that it will raise awareness for childhood drownings.
Their daughter Emeline, or Emmy, was 19 months old when she was discovered drowning in a neighbor's pool. Paramedics rushed to the scene and performed CPR, then transported the girl to a nearby hospital. She was pronounced dead the next day.
The athletic couple — Bode is an Olympic gold medalist skier, and Morgan is a professional volleyball player — has been very vocal since the accident, doing everything they can to raise awareness and funds to keep such incidents from happening in the future.
Both of Emmy's parents' Instagrams are flooded with pictures of Emmy.
It's understandable after the tragic way they lost her, but it's more than just mourning for the Millers.
"We are inspired to make our baby girl's memory go forth and help prevent as many drownings as possible," wrote Morgan in one such post.
Aside from Emmy (being held in the above photo), Bode and Morgan share a 3-year-old son, Nash Skan. Bode also has two other children, 10-year-old Neesyn and 5-year-old Samuel, from previous relationships. Morgan and Bode are expecting another baby, due in October.
Bode immediately addressed the death on Instagram.
This photo was posted the day after Emmy was declared dead, along with the following moving caption:
The story immediately made waves and spurred thousands of condolence notes from the public and the couple's contemporaries in the athletic world.
But the family hasn't let Emmy's memory fade. Morgan in particular has been very vocal about educating the public regarding child safety around water. Drowning is reportedly the No. 1 cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 years.
This latest image isn't just sentimental; it's part of the family's ongoing effort to raise awareness.
The powerful photo appears to have been taken in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Bode wasn't home at the time; Morgan was nearby and only lost sight of Emmy for a "short amount of time."
The caption for the photo mentions Morgan's ongoing work to bring awareness to the issue.
The comments section is full of sympathy for the Millers.
Morgan was the one who pulled Emmy out of the pool. Small children can drown in just 30 seconds.
After the initial announcement, a GoFundMe page was set up, raising over $15,000 to help cover funeral and medical expenses.
"We talk about vaccinations, car seats, organic foods, screen time, etc. at length," said Morgan in a separate Instagram post, "but not the number one risk your children’s’ lives face… a silent killer.”
"It takes SECONDS," continued Morgan. "Please share and help us spread awareness. It’s the first step to preventing these types of tragedies."
The tragedy may have occurred two months ago, but that's not nearly enough time to heal from such loss.
In the meantime, all the well wishes and support online definitely mean a lot to the family.
But perhaps the best way to remember Emmy is to take steps to make sure all the young children in your life are as safe as they can be.
