A Queensland, Australia mother went viral for her bravery after using her own body to shield her four-month-old daughter from a violent hailstorm that shattered their vehicle’s windows and sent massive hailstones crashing inside.
The incident happened in October 2018 when Fiona Simpson was traveling through southeastern Queensland with her infant daughter and grandmother. The family was caught in a severe storm that unleashed huge hailstones, damaging their vehicle and smashing its windows.
As the storm intensified, Simpson immediately moved to protect her baby. She climbed over her daughter and covered her with her body, taking the impact of hailstones that struck her back, shoulders, arms and head as the storm raged around them.
Photos taken after the incident showed extensive bruising across Simpson’s body caused by the hailstones. Despite the dangerous conditions inside the damaged vehicle, her baby suffered only minor injuries.
Simpson later said protecting her daughter was an instinctive reaction.
“I just thought, I’ve got to protect her,” Simpson said.
The storm created extremely dangerous conditions, with large chunks of ice falling at high speeds and causing injuries and property damage. The shattered windows made the situation even more hazardous, exposing the family to both hailstones and broken glass.
“It was so scary but there was no time to be afraid … It just all happened so fast,” she said. “I jumped over the back seat, over her car seat, holding my body over hers,” she added.
The incident attracted international attention after images of Simpson’s injuries circulated online. The photos showed the physical toll of the storm and the split-second decision she made to protect her daughter.
Despite the injuries she suffered, Simpson said she would make the same choice again.
“I’m just a mum — you do anything you can to protect your child no matter what, even at your own expense and I would do it again,” she said.
After the storm cell passed, Simpson drove her badly damaged vehicle to a nearby house and screamed for help, prompting residents to call an ambulance.
