NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A devastated family is turning their tragedy into purpose as they demand changes for an Airbnb in South Florida.

Adeanah Francis and her family were visiting from Atlanta for a vacation. Now, they’re demanding change after her 4-year-old daughter, Kennedi Ray, drowned in the pool of an Airbnb in Northeast Miami-Dade.

“This is what we lost,” said Francis, holding up a photo of her daughter.

The heartbroken family shared their agony after the unthinkable happened.

“We’re hurt and nothing in this world could ever make it better. My child is gone,” said Francis.

Francis and her family hope their pain will help spur change to prevent other tragedies from happening again.

“We loved her so much, we miss her so much,” said Francis.

While staying at an Airbnb in the Ives Estates area along Northeast 15th Avenue on March 5, the 4-year-old Ray drowned in a pool.

The family’s lawyer said it happened in the middle of the morning while the rest of the family as still asleep.

“A child got access to the backyard, no alarm went off, no barriers were there, and we lost Kennedi,” said Adam Finkel, the family’s attorney.

After the horrific incident, Francis and her family now want the removal of the property from rental listings and urging for the enforcement of Florida’s Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, which requires barriers, fences and self-closing gates around pools to help prevent child drownings.

“And to all the short-term rental companies, including Airbnb, do more, care more,” said Finkel. “Before you put a house that has a pool, make sure there are barriers are in place, make sure that the alarms work, make sure that the critical life safety measures are around the pool.”

Francis hopes her message brings accountability to short-term rental properties.

“I am a mother and I wouldn’t want any one of you to go through this pain,” said Francis.

Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children from ages of 1-4. Children with autism are also 160 times more likely to drown.

Francis said her daughter had autism.

The family is expected to file a lawsuit in the coming weeks.

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