In The Press
Healthier Together: Importance of water safety
The weather has really started to warm up recently, and that means families are looking for ways to cool off in lakes, rivers and community pools.
This week in Healthier together, we’re focusing on water safety and how one local mom has turned her pain into her purpose. Read more…
Mother pours grief from her child's drowning into creating Nonprofit & Film
When you ask Chezik Tsunoda about her son Yori, she’ll tell you, "Yori is one of the biggest personalities,” she says, describing her son as an old soul with a love for airplanes and dreams of piloting them.
But in August of 2018, Tsunoda and her family went to a friend’s house in Bellevue to play in the pool.
“Everybody just kind of jumped in and was hanging out and it literally happened so quickly,” Tsunoda said.
Even with a parent, another adult and other children in the pool, Yori silently slipped under the surface. No one noticed until they saw him face down in the water. Read more…
'It was moments': Bellevue mother works to prevent drownings after son's death
Drowning is a leading cause of death for children between one and four years old in the United States, and one Bellevue mother is on a mission to educate others about water safety after her own personal tragedy.
Chezik Tsunoda is a mom of four and founder of the non-profit No More Under. In 2018, Tsunoda and her family were visiting a friend's house for a day in their pool.
"We had lots of friends and children running around, and we were not super paying attention to the water," Tsunoda said. "There were adults in the water so there's kind of an assumption that when there are adults and children are in the water that people are watching."
Then, Tsunoda's 3-year-old son Yori was spotted floating in the pool. The adults pulled Yori out of the pool and attempted to perform CPR until first responders arrived and took him to a children's hospital. However, medics weren't able to save him.
"It was too late," Tsunoda said. "When I tell you moments... It was moments." Read more…
ParentMap
While water safety seems simple, accidental drownings are a leading cause of death for children ages 1–4 and spike again during the teenage years. With lifeguard shortages, life-jacket stations shuttered in our area and new COVID-19 precautions to consider, it’s more important than ever that families know top tips for keeping kids safe around water.
Please watch this important conversation with No More Under founder Chezik Tsunoda, Seattle Children's Suicide and Injury Prevention Program Manager Isabell Sakamoto, and Bellevue Fire Department's Lieutenant Camari Olson and Community Risk Reduction Specialist Heather Wong. Learn simple solutions to keep your family safe this summer and expert tips on how to handle a water emergency.
No More Under: the story, the film, the cause
Chezik Tsunoda has a clear message.
“Water is everywhere. It’s something we all take for granted, but drowning is the number one reason children under age 4 die,” she says. “And it’s completely preventable. For kids 15 to 19 years old, it’s the number two reason.”
These statistics are unforgettable for her and husband, Kudo Tsunoda. On August 18, 2018, their family lost the third of their four boys, Yori, to a drowning accident. It happened within minutes at a small gathering at a friend’s house. He was three years old.
“This should not be the number one reason we lose our youngest kids,” Read more…
The Points Living
Paige Green sat down with Chezik Tsunoda and Sarah Oeltjen to talk about No More Under, a non-profit organization based in Bellevue, Washington, that focuses on water safety, awareness, and drowning prevention.
Read the entire article, printed in The Points Living HERE.