Caroline Maurer is a student and a nanny. She began watching kids when she was just 7 years old and has continued to be a cherished member of many families’ lives over her nanny career.
But in all her years of experience, nothing could have prepared her for her brave act to rescue a 2-year-old boy.
On a calm March morning, Caroline was taking two-year-old Fox out for a walk. Fox was safely strapped in a stroller as they strolled around.
The two soon reached a four-way intersection. Seeing that the roads were clear, Caroline proceeded to cross the street with Fox in the stroller.
Suddenly, Caroline saw a car quickly approaching them. The car had ran a stop sign and made a sharp left straight towards their direction.
Caroline reacted within seconds.
“It was going to be him hit since he was kind of more in front of me. So, as the car turned in – I was screaming, ‘Stop! Stop!’ – and pushed him as hard as I could to get him out of the way,” Caroline said of the incident.
After she pushed Fox out of the way to safety, Caroline was left to take the full impact of the car.
“The car came and crushed my hands, the front bumper – and I was thrown a few feet,” she said.
After the accident, Caroline was left disoriented. She could hear Fox screaming “Nanny Caroline!” and “I love you,” and it broke her heart because she was physically unable to hold him due to her injuries.
“Fox was strapped in and I couldn’t get him out because my hands were crushed and I was on the ground,” she recalled.
Thankfully, a kind passerby was nearby to take Fox out of the stroller and hold him close while paramedics arrived for Caroline.
Due to Caroline’s selfless and brave act, Fox survived the accident with a few minor scrapes and bruises.
When Fox’s parents learned what had happened, they were stunned – first by the close encounter their son had, and second because of Caroline’s quick instincts.
“It’s amazing to me, just in that moment, that you saw the car coming and your instinct is ‘Push the stroller away,’ you know, ‘Hold out my arms, put my body in front of the car,'” Fox’s mother told Caroline.
The paramedics told Fox’s father that he “needs to see this as a good day because [Caroline] saved Fox’s life.”
After the accident, Caroline was in the hospital for over two weeks. She then spent another two months in rehabilitation.
She has also had three surgeries performed on her hands and began physical therapy in the early summer.
According to her doctors, Caroline may never get full control of her hands once she’s fully recovered, but she has Fox’s family eternal gratitude.
“I think my first reaction was: She’s family for the rest of our lives. Because of Caroline, the worst didn’t happen. She saved his life,” Fox’s dad told KTLA.
Since the accident, Caroline has been unable to return to work or school. As a result, the family has created a YouCaring.com account to help Caroline with her medical expenses and to get her back to school.
The video below shows how loved and adored Caroline is by all the children she watches. We wish her a speedy recovery for her selfless act.
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