PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A 12-year-old girl is recovering at home after a large tree limb fell on her during a festival in Paulding County.
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Claudia Bacon spent the past month in the hospital and faces several weeks of therapy, but she is eager to return to school and her friends.
“I was just very confused and I didn’t really believe at first,” Claudia Bacon told Channel 2’s Bryan Mims.
Saturday, Sept. 6, the day of the incident, has vanished from Claudia Bacon’s memory, but she was told about the accident while in the hospital.
A large tree limb came crashing down on her as she and a friend walked among the arts and crafts.
“In my mind, I didn’t imagine it was nearly as bad as it was,” Claudia’s mom, Charlena Cohran Bacon, said.
For the next month, she and her husband spent every day and every night at Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital.
Every day and every night, they prayed.
“I’ve had to hold onto God, like there was no other choice. I just had to have faith in him, that everything was gonna be OK. I couldn’t let my mind wander from it,” Charlena Cohran Bacon said.
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Now, the 12-year-old is on her feet, at home.
Claudia Bacon suffered a split skull, broken neck, broken rib, and bruised lung, requiring extensive medical care, including a ventilator and feeding tube.
Despite the injuries, Claudia Bacon is determined to get back to playing the oboe, singing in the chorus, and doing math assignments, which she loves.
She says prayer is the best medicine.
“I just want to say thank you to everybody who was praying for me and helping with my recovery,” Claudia Bacon said.
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Her classmates and teachers visited her in the hospital, providing support that helped her feel better despite the pain.
Claudia’s mother hopes she will return to South Paulding Middle School in about six weeks.
There is a GoFundMe to assist with her recovery. Click here if you would like to contribute.
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