The Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport was crowded with families on Thursday who were headed to Orlando for vacation. But for the Freedy family of Boardman, the trip was much more than just a vacation.
Over two years ago, their daughter, Chloe, was severely wounded when she accidentally slid under a lawnmower and was cut from the waist down to her knee cap. Chloe's father said a million different things went through his mind when he got the call.
"Scared, sick, not knowing for sure what had happened, so you're thinking the worst," said Sam Freedy.
Chloe's grandmother, Janet Freedy, was riding the lawn mower when the incident happened.
"Something I could have never got through without our neighborhood and all the prayers and support of the family," she said.
Today, things are back to normal for the family, and 7-year-old Chloe was recently selected as Akron Children's Mahoning Valley Hospital's miracle child through the Children's Miracle Network. She's the first child to be selected in the Mahoning Valley.
"She was actually nominated by our staff to be a miracle child because of the tragedy and how she and her family overcame the adversity, and she's doing great now," said JoAnn Stock, Director of Development at Akron Children's Mahoning Valley Hospital.
And although Chloe still has a few more surgeries to go, she is as active now as she was before the accident.
"I cheerlead, I dance and I play basketball," said Chloe.
Chloe, her step-mother and father, two siblings and her grandparents will all be enjoying the complimentary trip from Allegiant Air.
"They have a lot of stuff planned," said Chloe's father, Sam Freedy. "We're just gonna try to do as much as we can and have a good time and just have fun."
