How Project One Cause Began

In 2006, our founder Annemarie Miller’s son, Caelum, drowned at just 17 months old. Although he was resuscitated, doctors delivered a devastating prognosis: the brain injury was too severe for meaningful recovery. The answers were final. The word was “no.”

But Caelum lived. And his family refused to stop asking what else might be possible.

The Reality of Recovery After Non-Fatal Drowning

What followed was a long and difficult reality many families face after non-fatal drowning: critical therapies not covered by insurance, significant financial strain, limited guidance, and few places to turn once hospital care ends. Through years of research and lived experience, Annemarie uncovered treatment pathways focused on neuroplasticity and long-term recovery—approaches that helped Caelum make progress long after hope was supposed to run out.

Project One Cause was created to make that hard-won knowledge and support accessible to other families.

We are a nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to children affected by drowning-related brain injuries. We help families access recovery-focused therapies and equipment, provide education and peer support, and advocate for continued research into neurological rehabilitation after non-fatal drowning.

Every dollar given to Project One Cause directly supports families—funding critical treatments and expanding access to recovery pathways that often fall outside traditional systems of care. Donor generosity helps families move forward with clarity, resources, and renewed hope during the long road after drowning.

Project One Cause exists to transform tragedy into action—and to turn “no” into Numerous Opportunities.