October 2, 2024 marks 3 years since we had to say goodbye to our sweet Brooklyn. Our lives are shattered without her.
For the first several months after her death, I was very against sharing the details of her passing. It was a horrible tragedy, and I wanted to keep her dignity by never telling the story.
Several of the few people that did know the story told me that they were learning to be more cautious with their kids in parking lots and around vehicles. Some said that they always hold their kids hands, because of Brooklyn. Others said they had confronted strangers to stop unsafe acts—again, because of Brooklyn. Eventually, I realized that we can still honor Brooklyn while sharing her story, and helping prevent future tragedies.
Now, we share her story to help others. To prevent future losses, and to protect those who can’t protect themselves.
Brooklyn was hit by a car in a parking lot. I let go of her hand for a moment to help her older sister get into our vehicle. In that brief blink of an eye, the balloon that Brooklyn was holding got away from her and she chased after it—directly in front of another vehicle that was pulling forward through their parking stall.
The driver never saw Brooklyn over the hood of their car. Larger SUV’s and trucks have a massive blind spot directly in front of them, which can result in “frontover accidents”.
It was an accident. I never should have let go of her hand. It is a mistake that I can never recover from, but I tell this story so that you & your loved ones can be aware of the danger, and never let it happen to your family.
We have chosen to donate to two non-profit organizations this year to help others in their time of need.
Paula’s Hope is special to us because our dear friends Dave & Nancy volunteer much of their time & resources there to provide free, faith-based counseling to the Northwest Arkansas Community. For those of you that attended Brooklyn’s funeral, Dave was the officiant of the service. Dave helped lead Justin to the decision to follow Jesus, less than 24 hours after losing Brooklyn. Nancy let me cry in her arms on her couch, brought us meals, and helped with so much behind the scenes. Dave & Nancy also know true grief, as they have an infant daughter and a teenage grandson in heaven as well.
Paula’s Hope provides counseling services free of charge to the NWA community where we lived for 7 years. The community there is very special to us, and we hope to continue supporting them for years to come.
For those that would prefer to donate to a non-religious affiliated organization, we have an ongoing donation in Brooklyn’s honor through the Kids & Cars organization based in Kansas City, KS. Director Amber Rollins has been an ongoing support for us in the past several years. She and her team work tirelessly to push legislation to improve safety features in vehicles. Our desire is to see Forward Facing Cameras as a standard safety feature in all vehicles, because the technology already exists, and safety should never come at a price.  Automatic Emergency Braking is another feature we hope to see implemented as standard. Donations to Kids & Cars will help this goal become a reality in the years to come. Not only is Kids & Cars a wonderful organization, but Amber makes it personal.  She reaches out to me regularly just to check in and see how we are doing, if she can help us in any way. Little things like this mean so much to me.
I know times are tough as a nation, and there are other ways to honor Brooklyn without opening your wallet. This week, I will be donating blood to the American Red Cross. My O+ blood wouldn’t have been able to save Brooklyn, but it will absolutely save someone else.
Another way to honor Brooklyn is through a random act of kindness. Consider doing something kind for a stranger, or even someone you know. Brooklyn has a reputation of making people smile, so let’s pass on the happiness that she brought to us.
Please share & donate if you can are able or felt led.
Please…for Brooklyn’s sake…always hold their hands.
-Killian Cline