Car Plows Through Stop Sign Toward 2-Year-Old, Nanny Knows It's Either Her or Toddler
The fierce protectiveness a parent feels over their own child is instinctual and tenacious. When 2-year-old Fox was in the line of great danger, he didn’t have his parents there to protect him.
He did have his nanny, Caroline Maurer, with him, however. Though nobody can replicate the exact bond between parents and their children, Maurer and Fox shared an incredible bond that grew even stronger after the dangerous incident.
Before Fox was introduced to solid food, he was introduced to Maurer as his nanny. Courtney Davis was a first-time mother to Fox and found Maurer’s presence in their lives to be exactly what they needed.
On March 28, that only became more evident. Maurer strapped Fox into the stroller and took him for a morning walk in the neighborhood.
They began crossing the street that had four-way stop signs. No cars were at the stops, so it appeared safe to cross.
Suddenly, a car plowed through the stop sign without any warning. Unfortunately, the car made a left turn, meaning it was headed toward the nanny and 2-year-old.
Maurer knew it would either be Fox or herself that was going to get hit. The stroller with Fox sitting inside was in the direct line of impact, so Maurer made a quick-thinking decision.
She pushed the stroller as hard as she could away from herself and the oncoming car. Maurer yelled at the driver to stop as she defensively held up her hands to protect herself.
The car hit Maurer, resulting in arm, hand, and wrist fractures. She also experienced the trauma of hearing the toddler’s innocent cries, but wasn’t able to comfort him; he was strapped into his stroller while she was stuck injured on the ground.
She told KCBS, “He was screaming Nanny Caroline I love you which was breaking my heart because I couldn’t hold him.” Of course, Fox’s parents love their Nanny Caroline, too.
Bill Wolkoff, Fox’s dad, told KTLA, “I think my first reaction was: She’s family for the rest of our lives.” A YouCaring page designed to raise money for Maurer’s expenses was started by Wolkoff and Davis.
Maurer wrote on Facebook in response to the YouCaring page, “Publicly reliving this leaves me grateful, tearful, loved, and anxious regarding my own worthiness in this crazy world brimming with need. I am happiest to see Fox, still whole – still perfect.”
Fox amazingly left the scene with minor scrapes, but Maurer’s life has been permanently changed; she doesn’t know if she will ever regain full use of her hands. Though she isn’t Fox’s mother, she showed the fierce protectiveness of one as she chose to place the toddler’s life before her own.
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