My name is Shannon Bray, and am representing the Pepin family whose child recently drowned at a Florida hotel pool. I would like to tell you their story, then tell you our mission.

Jada Pepin was a thriving 3 year old who loved the color pink, her brother Gage (his biggest fan), dirtbike riding, baby dolls, and "running" her mother's hair salon. Her parents Travis and Alicia were doting parents who rarely did anything without their children. There were no date nights or vacations where Jada and Gage did not go with them. Her brother Gage raced dirtbikes, and she was just learning herself!

Jada was on a weekend getaway with her parents for their wedding anniversary. She wanted to see where her parents got married, so they booked a long weekend at the Crowne Plaza in Melbourne Beach. The Pepin family along with 2 other families spent the weekend enjoying each others company. Alicia and Travis had set up a late check-out to leave the hotel at 4:00PM on Sunday April 10, 2011, that was when Jada's tragic accident occurred. Alicia was waiting to pay their tab, but the server was taking an extended time getting the bill, and it was time to check out. The two parents set out to take care of the details while the other two families remained at the pool with their children. Alicia went to find the server, and assumed her sister-in-law was watching Jada. Travis took their son Gage to check out of the hotel assuming Alicia had Jada. The other 2 families assumed that Travis had taken Gage AND Jada with him. Jada slipped through the cracks of communication, and was found after Alicia came back asking where Jada was. Jada was found at the bottom of the hotel pool. She was immediately pulled from the water, and CPR was performed by Jada's aunt, and then by a local off-duty firefighter. She was then rushed to HRMC, and then flown to Arnold Palmer Hospital where she died as a result of her injuries on Wednesday April 13, 2011.

She drowned on a day that the hotel holds its weekly get together "Jamaican Me Crazy". There were several people in and around the pool! These are diligent parents (parents we dream to be)! It truly shows that this tragic accident can happen to anyone!

We as a group of family and beloved friends want to take action to prevent this ever happening to another family! Therefore, we are proposing the passing of a law: Jada's Law. Jada's Law is simple: All hotel and public pools must provide an electronic alert system to all parents with children under the age of 7 that will alarm if the child enters the pool. The best part is that the system already exists!!!! A company called Safety Turtle has a system called a Child Immersion Alarm. A man named Bob Lyons invented this system, and will be working with us on our mission.

What we are requesting of you is to help us make this law happen! We need your support!

Thank you in advance,
Shannon Bray and the Pepin family

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