Girl off ventilator after being hit falling tree in Paulding County

Girl hit by falling tree at arts festival

The Paulding County Sheriff's Office said a 12-year-old girl was at the Paulding Meadows Arts and Crafts Festival shortly after bad weather passed through. A portion of one tree and limbs from another fell and hit her. The young girl's name is Claudia and her uncle, HJ Cohran, says her family has been by her bedside since this happened.

PAULDING CO., Ga. - A 12-year-old girl is recovering after being struck by falling trees over the weekend in Paulding County. As of Monday, her family said she is breathing on her own again.

The backstory:

According to the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office, the girl was at the Paulding Meadows Arts and Crafts Festival shortly after severe weather passed through when part of one tree and limbs from another fell on her. Deputies and firefighters quickly rushed to her aid.

What they're saying:

The girl’s name is Claudia. Her uncle, HJ Cohran, said the family has been by her bedside at Scottish Rite Hospital since the incident. Family members describe her as a straight-A honor student.

"My understanding was that she was seizing on the scene, and they were able to administer medicine to get her to quit doing that, and they took care of her very quickly, so we're very thankful for that," Cohran said.

He added that the family is grateful for the community’s support and continues to rely on their faith. "We believe that God is in control of this thing and that he can heal her and take care of her. If you believe, please just say as many prayers as you can for her," said Cohran.

Claudia’s mother told FOX 5 via social media on Sunday that her daughter suffered skull fractures and had been intubated at Scottish Rite Hospital. She had received blood transfusions and was responding somewhat to treatment, but not as well as doctors had hoped.

By Monday, Cohran reported progress. The breathing tube had been removed.

"She has been able to squeeze her Mama‘s hand on cue, respond to questions with a slight head nod, and wiggle her toes," he said in an email. "At one point, she was able to give a thumbs up!"

Doctors told the family that Claudia was recovering faster than expected.

"Our biggest prayer at the moment is that she starts moving the left side of her body," Cohran said.

What you can do:

The family set up a GoFundMe to help the family as they navigate this tough time.