After taking her 10-month-old daughter, Sophia, to the pediatrician earlier in the morning, Midence and her father stopped for a bite to eat. When Midence opened her door to get out of the car, a man opened the back door where Sophia was sitting and tried to kidnap the baby. According to Midence, the man quickly unbuckled Sophia's car seat and tried to pull her out of the car. Her hand got caught in one of the straps, so the suspect pulled the baby out by her neck. Fortunately the suspect picked the wrong woman to mess with.
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After grabbing her baby, Midence began fighting off the attacker by kicking him and biting him. Midence and her father did such a job of fending off the man that he gave up and ran away toward a nearby hotel. Poor Sophia has bruises on her neck and arms but, after being looked at by her pediatrician, is OK. Police have also arrested 19-year-old Sterlyn Reynolds and charged him with kidnapping and cruelty to children. Reynolds reportedly denied having any knowledge of the incident after he was approached by authorities but was arrested after police saw that his appearance fit the description given to them — and that he had a bite mark on his arm.
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It goes without saying that what Midence experienced is, quite literally, every mother's nightmare. But her reaction is also likely that of what every parent would do in her situation. Not to trivialize what she did by any means — because, hello, it's unbelievable — but ultimately, when it comes down to it, every mother rises to the occasion and does what's best for their child, regardless of what it takes.
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As mothers, we often don't give ourselves enough credit. From how much television our kids watch to who we're allowing them to hang out with to how many vegetables they eat in a day, as parents, we're constantly questioning our decisions. But at the end of the day, that's not what really matters. Because we love our children with everything we have, and like Midence, every single one of us would do anything for them. So let's give ourselves a little credit, OK?
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As a mother, my heart breaks for Midence, her daughter and the horrifying experience they had to go through, which, more likely than not, has left residual fears and stress in them. But hopefully Midence knows that no matter what decision she makes for her sweet daughter, it's not wrong. And even if it is, it doesn't matter. Because she clearly loves Sophia more than anything in this world, and she will always rise to the occasion.
Midence, who understandably did not want her face or her daughter's on camera, is still shook up about the horrible event, but hopefully she'll always be able to take solace and pride in the fact that she fought off a man for the sake of her child.
"I told him, 'If you want to take my baby, you have to take me with her,'" she said. "I won't let you to take my baby."
mom fights kidnapper