Cecelia Cichan
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Cecelia M. Cichan (born April 10, 1983, now known as Cecelia M. Cichan-Lumpkin) is best known as the 4-year-old girl who was the only survivor of the August 16, 1987 crash of a McDonnell-Douglas DC-9 carrying Northwest Airlines Flight 255, which occurred during the takeoff phase from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport for its flight to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona, with an onward flight to Santa Ana, California.
Her mother, Paula Cichan, is credited with saving Cecelia's life. It is believed that she wrapped herself around the seat that her daughter occupied, protecting Cecelia from the post-crash fire. Paula Cichan died in the crash, along with Cecelia's father, Michael Cichan, and her 6-year-old brother, David Cichan.
Cecelia Cichan was sent to live with relatives in Birmingham, Alabama, in the aftermath of the crash, who took precautions to ensure that she was not constantly hounded by the media. She is now a devout Catholic, and she attends the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Cichan avoids reporters and does not give interviews. As a result, little else is known about her life since the crash.