Rick Kauffman calls himself a fixer and as a fixer, he was a total failure after his three-year-old daughter, Kelsey, drowned in a public swimming pool, eight feet in front of a life guard. Rick started getting involved with water safety, but he quit as things in his life went downhill. Rick ended up divorced, was a failure as a dad, and even attempted suicide. For eight years he let the darkness of grief consume him and blamed all of his failures on his daughter’s death, instead of his own bad choices.
Fifteen years later, Rick came back to the area of water safety 
and found out nothing has changed. The numbers of drownings were still the same and there were still too many families with a similar story of children drowning in front of a lifeguard. God has given Rick favor to be a voice and to help bring awareness of water safety to others in Kelsey’s name.
Rick has been on this grief journey for over twenty years, and has a lot of good things to share with us.
Rick’s answer to how to help your child leave a legacy: Start small. Make a difference in one person’s life, then do it again, and do it again, until you reach hundreds, thousands and maybe even millions. Get with yourself and with God, asking Him for help, and He’ll show you the way. Let Him help you find your story because you never know who you will touch.
(Note: The views and opinions of our guests outside of this podcast may not be in agreement with GPS Hope.)
Links referred to in this podcast episode:
Rick Kauffman’s Information
Email: rick@thekelsgroup.com
Families United to Prevent Drowning Website
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Birthdays:
Celeste France was born on January 29 and is forever 17.
Brenton Smith was born on February 10, and is forever 24.
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Remember to Hold On Pain Eases; there is HOPE!
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Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (GPS Hope) is here to walk with parents through the darkness of child-loss, guiding them to a place of hope, light and purpose.
It is a safe place for anyone who has lost a child from this earth. There is no shame or judgement in where you are in this journey, including if you are struggling in your relationship with God or your faith has been completely shattered.
piece of my very being gone from this earth?
deep grief is a reminder of my deep love that cannot be poured out on my child right now. But someday we will be together again, and all this stored up love will be dumped on my child! And Father, I ask that right now, you would give my child a big hug from me, and love on them in my place. Thank you.
speaker and singer Laura Diehl. She and her husband, Dave, are the founders of Grieving Parents Sharing Hope (
hours after birth while in her mother’s arms. As Crystal grieved the loss of her only child, she began to feel isolated and ill-equipped to handle her emotional journey. Vowing to honor her daughter’s brief life and to support others from feeling as lost and lonely as she did, Sharing Solace was founded, which brings together those grieving any type of loss by providing physical keepsake gifts intended to be ‘paid forward’ to others.
peninsula of Michigan. While doing her medical internship in Houston, she met her husband, Kevin, and they had two children, Megan and Jacob. Their children were the center of their world and life was good, filled with the typical sports and school events.
Thanksgiving break when she was killed instantly in a head on collision by a young college student who was texting behind the wheel of his truck.
