CloClo’s Miracle

A 4 year survives a bicycle car collision.

CloClo was a nick name we gave our oldest granddaughter whose name is Chloe. I don’t know where I came up with the name or even if it was I that came up with it. CloClo just sort of fit. We had other names for her we used like Sissy, Mrs America and of course her name as Chloe. Our Mrs Chloe was born in 2001 in Southern Illinois.

Sylvia and I lived in Houston at the time and our daughter Michelle lived in Southern Illinois. We made a point to fly her and Chloe down every three months for two or three weeks at a time so we could enjoy our little CloClo. We had and still have a very close relationship with our daughter. We talked to her every single day.

CloClo was a very serious and strong willed child. Downright stubborn to the core and fearless. She very seldom laughed and always seemed to be in deep thought. She often played alone as she was the first and only grandchild for a while.

On this particular day CloClo was about 4 years old riding her bicycle in their driveway at home. Her mother had given her strict orders to not ride her bike out into the street but stay in the driveway. The street they lived on was a residential street but was busy at times. For some reason drivers had a tendency to go a bit faster than they should. I would describe it as flying down the road.

Michelle stepped inside for just a minute when the accident occurred. CloClo had ridden her bike out into the street the exact time a driver was flying by. The car collided with the bicycle. Sending Chloe sailing into the air and landing on the windshield of the car staring face to face with the driver.

Michelle heard the crash and ran outside to the street. Chloe had been hit by a car! Every parent’s nightmare had unfolded and it all happened in seconds. The bicycle was a mangled mess and Chloe was laying on the windshield and starting to move.

Michelle was a Registered Nurse thankfully and began an immediate medical assessment prior to letting Chloe move around too much. The male driver an elderly man was shaking so bad he could barely stand up.

Here’s the most incredible part of this story. Chloe had no injuries. No broken bones, lacerations, bruises. Her nose and ears weren’t bleeding. She didn’t even have a broken tooth. It was as if the accident never happened. She hadn’t even cried one teardrop.

The driver was trying to compose himself and asked if she would call the police as he was still trembling. She said let me get her down and look her over again. A second assessment concluded no visible sign of any injuries.

She explained she was a nurse and she couldn’t explain it but CloClo was miraculously unscathed. The driver kept asking are you sure? “Are you certain, I mean that’s impossible isn’t it? She was hit by this car! Do we need to get her an ambulance?”

She said, “No…I’m going to keep an eye on her but I really feel she’s ok.”
After removing the mangled bicycle out of the street she let the driver go on. He kept asking, “Are you sure? Are you really sure?”

The driver reluctantly drove off but returned one hour later ringing the doorbell. When Michelle answered the door the driver said, “I have to know is she ok?”

“Yes, she’s fine and been playing this whole time.” Chloe comes to the door and sees the driver for a second time. The driver was obviously still traumatized by this whole event. Seeing the little girl absent of any injuries gave him some peace of mind as he left a second time.

That was 20 years ago and I’m living one house down from where the accident occurred. Today our Chloe is an Emergency Room Nurse at a nearby hospital. She was recently married to a Software Engineer and they recently bought their first house and live only 1/2 mile from us.

I can’t explain it as this entire accident defied the laws of physics. Chloe didn’t even have a scratch that day. I don’t even think her hair was messed up. God miraculously spared her life. To the people who claim miracle’s don’t happen. I know one that did. It was CloClo’s miracle.