Octavia's Promise

02/12/2026

One year ago today, we started Octavia's Promise!

April 14th, 2024 changed our lives forever. Octavia drowned. In those terrifying moments, everything we'd learned about CPR became the difference between life and death. High-quality CPR brought our daughter back. Those dark as charcoal eyes opened again, and our world started turning once more. Today, Octavia is a thriving, spunky, silly, amazing little girl who truly makes this world a better place. She is our Walking Miracle.

This past year, we've turned our miracle into a mission. Over 200 children are now safer in the water wearing our pink swimsuits. Over 100 people in our community have been CPR certified meaning 100 people who now have the skills that saved Octavia's life. People are recognizing our story. They stop us to share how Octavia's Promise has touched them. And most importantly, Octavia is still here, thriving and reminding us daily why this matters.

Our life is this mission now. Living through what we did, celebrating the miracle we have, and being thankful for every opportunity to prevent another family from experiencing that horror. This is what drives us. Every class we teach, every swimsuit we give away, every story we share carries the weight of those desperate moments and the grace of her recovery.

Our goal remains simple: affect even one life. Prevent one near tragedy. If we can spare one family the pain we endured, if one person uses their training to save a life, then every sleepless night, every vulnerable moment sharing our story, every dollar raised will have been worth it.

To our community: thank you. You've embraced our mission as your own. You've turned our pain into purpose and our fear into action. Together, we're making our waters safer and our community more prepared to act when seconds matter most.

Here's to year one. Here's to Octavia. Here's to every life we might touch in the years to come.

From Miracle to Mission: Saving Lives, One Lesson at a Time.

With gratitude and determination,
Taylor & Asia

02/09/2026

Sorry to interrupt your Super Bowl. We love football. But give us just a minute of your halftime scrolling time for something important.

Today, millions of people are gathered with family and friends, watching the game, eating too much food, and enjoying time together. It's one of those days when living rooms across the country are packed with the people we love most.

But here's the thing about cardiac arrest - it doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care about age, health, or fitness level. It doesn't wait for convenient moments. It can happen to anyone, anywhere - at a watch party, a tailgate, right there in the living room surrounded by everyone you care about.

We founded Octavia's Promise because we experienced a nightmare and a miracle in the matter of a few moments. We learned that the difference between tragedy and survival often comes down to whether someone nearby knows what to do when every second counts.

This month, we're giving you two chances to be that person. A person that can make a difference when seconds make the biggest difference.

Please join us to empower yourself to be a difference maker.

Sunday, February 22nd - Stop by our booth at the Deadwood Neighborhood Council's Luau at Deadwood Recreation Center. Try hands-only CPR, hear our story, grab swimsuits for summer.

Monday, February 23rd at 5:00 PM - Full CPR certification class at the Lead Volunteer Fire Department, 622 Hearst Ave, Lead, SD. Hands-on training for adults, children, and infants.

Okay, back to the game. But think about it - and contact us to register for our February 23rd class.

The people around you today deserve to have someone ready to act if the worst happens.

Enjoy the rest of the Super Bowl!

02/06/2026

Our world is still intact because Octavia is still here with us.

Just under 2 years ago, we experienced a nightmare and a miracle in the matter of a few moments, and we know that those moments really matter.

That moment of crisis, when everything hung in the balance - it changed everything for us. It's why we founded Octavia's Promise. It's why we've dedicated ourselves to making sure our community has the knowledge and skills to act when seconds count.

Since our founding, we've been working steadily to build a network of trained responders like you throughout Lead, Deadwood, and the Black Hills - partnering with the Lead Volunteer Fire Department and the Deadwood Rec Center, hosting CPR classes, expanding our training equipment to include adult, child, and infant manikins, and empowering ordinary people to do extraordinary things in emergencies.

We've shared our mission at events like Souper Starz, distributed swimsuits for water safety, and created opportunities for hands-on life-saving education and we look forward to continuing doing just that.

This month, we have two opportunities coming up for you to connect with us:

Sunday, February 22nd - Join us at the Deadwood Neighborhood Council's community Luau Event at the Deadwood Recreation Center from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Stop by our booth to hear our story, learn hands-only CPR techniques, pick up a swimsuit if we have your size available, and have a great time.

Monday, February 23rd at 5:00 PM - American Heart Association CPR/AED certification class at the Lead Volunteer Fire Department, 622 Hearst Ave, Lead, SD. This is comprehensive hands-on training covering CPR for adults, children, and infants using our professional PRESTAN manikins.

We're trying to give everyone an opportunity to turn nightmares into miracles. Whether you join us at the Luau for an introduction or sign up for our certification class, you're taking a step toward being ready when someone needs you most.

Contact us today to register for our February 23rd CPR class. And we'll see you on the 22nd at the Luau!

02/05/2026

Could you save a life if someone needed you right now?

Join us on February 23rd for American Heart Association CPR/AED training at the Lead Volunteer Fire Department. Whether you're a parent, coach, business owner, or just someone who wants to be prepared when it matters most, this course gives you the skills and confidence to respond in an emergency.

What you'll learn:
- Adult CPR and AED use
- How to handle cardiac medical emergencies
- Opioid-related emergencies
- Child and infant CPR techniques

Class Details:
- When: February 23rd, 5:00pm - 9:00pm
- Where: Lead Volunteer Fire Department, 622 Hearst Ave, Lead, SD
- Cost: $30 (includes 2-year certification card and student workbook)
- Limited to 9 participants - spots can fill fast!

Octavia's Promise Co-Founder, Taylor Ballert, will be your instructor, and as an AHA Certified Instructor with years of emergency response experience, he's committed to making sure you leave feeling prepared and capable.

This isn't just a class—it's peace of mind. We experienced a nightmare and a miracle in the matter of a few moments, and we know that those moments really matter.

Register now at our website. Don't wait until you wish you knew what to do.

Questions? Reach out anytime.

01/17/2026

Whoo hoo!

01/02/2026

We are so thankful!

Thank you Ms. Zada Jones and KOTA Territory News for featuring our Holiday Swimsuit Bash at the Deadwood Recreation Center for this week's edition of KOTA Cares.

When we first started Octavia's Promise, it felt like it was only going to be a promise to ourselves that we would share our story in hopes that we could help prevent another near tragedy or worse. The last year and a half have been incredibly rewarding as we can begin to see actual positive change in our community.

In 2025: We gave away over 200 pink swimsuits to kids at our Swimsuit Bashes at the DRAC and at Iron Creek Lake, taught well over a dozen CPR Classes, presented at Spearfish Souper Starz, and shared our story to countless people willing to listen.

We're not sure what 2026 will bring us, but we know for certain that it's going to a great year and we can't wait!

12/30/2025

Holy smokes! We're still super stoked about yesterday!

What a fantastic event with a superb amount of support!

We had over 80 kids come swimming with us and we were able to hand out 60 pink swimsuits!

Thank you everyone that attended!

We also truly want to extend a very heartfelt thanks to Jeramy and Deadwood Recreation Center staff for helping us host such an incredible event!

We can't wait to do it again!

12/29/2025

We are here at the Deadwood Recreation Center for our first Annual Holiday Break Swimsuit Bash!

Come grab a free Swimsuits while supplies last, swim for free (with Swim Instructors), and check out all of the great things that the Deadwood Recreation & Aquatics Center has to offer!

12/29/2025

Today is the day!

We can't wait to see everyone!

Good morning! Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday weekend!

Reminder! Octavia's Promise will be here today from 12:00–2:00 PM for our Holiday Swimsuit Bash!

Octavia's Promise will be offering free swimsuits and the DRAC will provide the swimming for children in Kindergarten–5th grade.
ALL kids are welcome!

Please note: Children under age 11 must be accompanied by an adult (or someone age 11+). If you plan to drop your child off, please come inside to sign them in, as a waiver must be completed.

We can’t wait to see you there! 🏊‍♀️🎉

12/27/2025

We have about 100 swimsuits ready to go and we are excited to try and give them all away!

See you all on Monday at the Deadwood Rec Center from Noon-2pm!

DEADWOOD — Children attending Lead-Deadwood Elementary will have the opportunity to swim off some holiday energy at the Deadwood Recreation Center on Monday from 12-2 p.m. at Octavia’s Promise’s Holiday

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from the Ballert Clan!

We are so thankful for your support! We wish you a happy and healthy holidays!