Chloe's story - in her Mommy's words

{Days and days leading up to the accident Chloe has been BEGGING me to get her hair cut - short and on an angle like mine. I was dragging my feet about getting it done, because I just love her long locks.}

I was at my friends house with 4 of my girlfriends when Ryan called me. He told me to go pick up the boys from a friends house, because there had been an accident with Chloe. I'm not so good in emergency situations, but I knew that I had to be with my girl. Thankfully, our friends who had the boys, offered them to stay the night and keep them the next day if needed, so I didn't even have to worry about them. Also, my girlfriends worked out a plan so that I didn't have to drive to the hospital by myself. Looking back at that - that was huge. I don't know if I would've made it there!

When I got to the hospital, I walked in her room, and Ryan was standing to the side watching about 8-10 people working on our baby. I lost it. They took us to a consultation room and just let us hold each other and cry. There was nothing that we could do to help our sweet baby girl and we felt so helpless. We prayed right there for her and asked for the Lord to heal our Gracey girl. Thankfully, my two friends who drove me there were there for me and just let me talk and cry. I was numb. It totally felt surreal - like it wasn't happening. I didn't know what to do. The only thing that I could do for her is to get people to pray for her. I had Susan call Joan at my church to put Chloe on the prayer chain; people posted it on Facebook, and from there it just snowballed. My baby girl had hundreds of people praying for her!

Chloe was going to get airlifted to The University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, but before they left, they allowed us to go in and see her. Nobody should have to see their baby like that - NOBODY. It was awful. They handed me her little purple hoop earrings and the clothes that they cut off her body. Up until that point, I thought that she was unconscious and not able to breathe, but it was then that the doctor told me that they did that to her on purpose because they didn't know the extent of her injuries.

The flight team arrived and as they were preparing her for the flight to U of C, they noticed she had some air in her lung. They immediately scanned her lung to find out that she had a collapsed lung and then put a tube in her chest. The doctors from U of C said that the doctors from St. Anthony's placed the tube perfectly, and that they did everything just perfect for our girl. Once they completed all that she got on the helicopter and headed to U of C.

Ryan and I got in our car, still in complete shock that this was happening and headed to U of C. Our Pastor Kris texted us on our our way telling us that he was with Chloe at U of C and to drive safe. Ryan and I can't explain how much of a comfort that was to us. To know that someone was with her meant the world. My mom, brother Len, sister-in-laws Tara and Jen and cousin Rachel were also waiting for us in the waiting room when we got there, and that was so comforting as well. We had to wait a bit for the doctor to give us a report, and to have those people with us was just awesome! Thanks guys!

The doctor came in and gave the report that she had a small bleed on the brain on the back right side and a fracture on the front left side of her skull. Prognosis at that point was good, but it was basically a waiting game - the first 72 hours are crucial.

They finally came to get us so we could see our girl. Of course, Ryan and I cried and cried and just held on to each other. Shortly thereafter, our family members came in to see her. It's hard to see anybody on a ventilator let alone a 7-year old girl that you love dearly. We all shed some tears and then tried to get some sleep. I say tried, because honestly I didn't sleep a wink. My nerves had got the better of me and I was having trouble with horrible thoughts, so I was pretty much fighting with the devil all night and standing beside my baby. I would sing to her, pray for her, rub her head - anything to try to comfort her.

Morning FINALLY came - and she went for a CT scan. I was walking to the bathroom, and realized I knew one of the nurses. I stopped and talked with her and cried with her, and then she asked if she could come see Chloe. Of course, I said yes. She looked at her and how she was trying to wake herself up out of sedation and her vitals, etc. and she told me and Ryan "she's gonna be fine." After that she asked if she could get us something to drink. I asked for a Diet Coke while Ryan asked for a coffee. Little did we know that she was going to go to au bon pain and bring back coffee, diet coke, muffins and danishes. She was my little angel that morning (and pretty much proved to be my jem that night when she got everything we needed to take showers! :) She was awesome! Thanks Karen!)

While we were waiting for results I called Mel to give her an update and she told me that she was walking up to the hospital with Katie. Just what I needed! We waited so long to get the results, but the doctor said that if all came back with little to no change, then we would start to take her off the sedative and try to extubate her. The doctor came and said that there were no huge changes from the previous CT scan, so we were going to go along as planned with getting her off the sedative first to see how she would handle the ventilator. Well, let me tell you, she had a cheering squad in that room. People just kept showing up and we all just stood quietly by her bedside to see those beautiful eyes! She was fighting coming out, but she just wouldn't wake up enough for them to extubate her. My brother Paul and sister-in-law Kristin, niece Dana, Brian, Jori, Fritz, Jen, Heather, Jen, Rachel - we had a crew! (sorry if I forgot anybody - it's not intentional.) My brother and his family were getting ready to leave and she still hadn't woken up yet. My brother started to talk to her and tell her that they were leaving and they would really like to see her before they left. She started to really move around (her hands were strapped down the whole time) and FINALLY opened her eyes and woke up! The joy in me and Ryan's hearts when we got to see our baby girl's eyes was amazing. The respiration team quickly got into action to get her extubated and that went off without a hitch. They took the tube out of her nose and she was awake and telling us she was thirsty. She kissed us, she smiled at us it was just amazing! She was in and out of sleep and about 9 o'clock, Ryan and I decided that we needed some much needed sleep. I hadn't slept at all the night before, so sleep came very easily for me. I woke up around midnight to the nurse talking with Chloe. She was telling the nurse her name, holding her fingers up to tell her age, and gave a thumbs up! Oh it was just magnificent. To see my baby interact after so many hours of not interacting was just amazing!

I couldn't fall back to sleep. I think I had finally come to a point where I knew my baby was going to be o.k., I finally got my girl back! I cried....and cried....and cried. It was a really emotional time for me. I did go back to sleep about 4 and slept on and off until 6. All the while I would hear Ryan asking her what her middle name was and she would reply "Grace." It's just music to our ears when she can tell us what her brothers names are and what her birthday is.

We've had a few minor set-backs today, but nothing major! What they had originally thought to be fractures on her vertebrae are no longer there - they didn't show up on the second x-ray!! Another answer to prayer! They did find a non-displaced frontal sinus fracture. Nothing that needs operating, just monitoring for right now. No wrist fracture like they had thought.

She's been really sleepy today, which the doctors say is normal. Sometimes she's acting a bit confused and that's o.k. too. She's going to just need some healing time and I think before you know it, she'll be good as new. I'm going to guard her with my life, but she'll be good as new!

Ryan and I have sobbed over her bed because we didn't know what her future held for her. Last night, I sobbed over her bed because she's got a story that she's going to share in the future that includes God's healing power and the power of prayer! Oh, I can't wait to tell her all about it!

Oh, and the first thing on the agenda for her future? She's getting her hair cut!!! :)