Hannah's Mum

Anni Taylor
September 22, 2008
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Hannah Plint

Little Hannah drowned in her backyard pool in October 2007. Her mum Katherine tells of the devastation that followed and why she has started Hannah's Foundation for all families of drowning victims. Please note that this story may be distressing.

The Pool, the Chair and little Hannah
There was no appropriate title for my own story. And so I have named my story in very simple terms - because all it took for me to lose my daughter was something as simple as a plastic chair. Hannah, aged almost three, had been out of my sight for less than three minutes. She gained access to our pool with the chair. When I found her, I immediately applied my training in CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation). I still don't understand how I could have failed, and I don't understand why others have their children back after a near-drowning when Hannah was in the water for less time. I just ache and long for these answers I will never get.

Little Princess Purple
On the morning of the 4th October 2007, my baby son Harry woke with a raging temperature. I decided to take the day 'off work' from our business. Hannah quietly watched a movie during the morning. Later whilst I was trying to cool Harry down, Hannah slipped into the bathroom and painted herself in eyeshadow that belonged to her older sister Kelsi. She looked like little Princess Purple all covered in glitter and wearing her purple nappy. I ran for the camera, but sadly the camera wasn't charged. I missed taking a photo of her artwork and cheeky smile. Hannah had spoken to her daddy twice on the phone that day, with the second time being just before she went out to play.

At this time (around 2pm) I was changing Harry's nappy. After putting his nappy in the laundry, I went out to lift Harry into his highchair. That's when my heart sank. I saw the pool gate open, with our plastic white chair in front of it. Hannah was nowhere to be seen or heard. I started screaming her name whilst running out to find her. From the deck that adjoins our house, I saw her in the pool. Continued...