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Baby Jessica Today

lolakimono — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 13:28:22 GMT

Here's what life for 'Baby Jessica' is like today

"I had God on my side that day. My life is a miracle."

Updated: 8:02 AM EST Mar 9, 2017

The fact that the well was so deep and narrow and that she was trapped under solid rock made the rescue mission uncommonly difficult, and as each hour passed, parents everywhere watching their worst nightmare unfold on CNN began to lose hope for her survival. But the rescue teams managed to drill a parallel well and then create a tunnel to where baby Jessica was trapped, and finally, at the 58-hour mark, she was safely brought above ground.

Jessica has previously said that she has no memory whatsoever of being trapped in the well, and didn't even learn about what happened to her until she saw the drama unfold on an episode of "Rescue 911" when she was five years old. Driven to tears, she asked her stepmother who that poor girl was and was told it was her.

Now 30, Jessica recently spoke to People about what adult life is like for the most famous baby in the world.

Today, she lives a quiet life in Midland, Texas, where people still sometimes call her "Baby Jessica." Her husband, Danny, 43, is a foreman at a pipe supply company, and Jessica is a special-education teacher's aide at the local elementary school. They have two kids, Simon, 9, and Sheyenne, 7. In many ways, it's a very average American life, but the signs of her traumatic early days of existence are still visible.

Jessica had to undergo 15 surgeries after escaping the well, and today her right foot is still smaller than her left due to losing a small toe to gangrene. There's also still a faint sign of the scar on her forehead that she got from rubbing against the well when she fell asleep.

But another effect of the ordeal is financial. Since Jessica was so famous, hundreds of well-wishers sent her gifts and money, the latter of which was set up in a trust fund that she gained access to when she was 25. Though many assumed she would be rich from the donations, Jessica claims much of the $1.2 million in the trust disappeared during a stock market dive in 2008, and the rest was used simply to buy the modest house they live in.

Still, Jessica is grateful to all of the people that supported her – and to God.

"I think it's amazing that people would come together like that to donate money to a child that was not theirs. I appreciate everything they did." she said. ""I had God on my side that day. My life is a miracle."

Re: Baby Jessica Today

meallen616 — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 13:51:19 GMT

Re: Baby Jessica Today

qualitygal — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 14:09:02 GMT

@lolakimono, I remember that!! It's always great when we get updates on older news stories. So very rarely, are they revisited, the newspeople look for bigger stories to grab. I'd rather have updates.

Re: Baby Jessica Today

PurpleBunny — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 22:51:22 GMT

I remember there was some sort of issue with the parents fighting over control of the money or a law suit with the first responders or something. I can't recall the details, but I know there was some type of negative controversy around the story regarding money. I know that I felt badly when reading about it because it had been such a feel

-good story.

Re: Baby Jessica Today

Mellie32 — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 00:32:09 GMT

I remember that movie very well.

Re: Baby Jessica Today

september — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 00:47:20 GMT

I remember this well. My son was the same age when this happened. How lucky she is to have survived this. I have no comment on the financial issues....she has a home and is fortunate to have been rescued.

Re: Baby Jessica Today

Kachina624 — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 01:15:23 GMT

I lived 7 years in Midland, after this happened. There were lots of stories that circulated about the incident. One of the paramedics that pulled her out later committed suicide. He apparent couldn't take the sudden fame and attention then nothing. My secretary knew him. Many people in the older parts of town still have those unsecured private wells they use for lawn watering.

Midland is a very wealthy community at the epicenter of the oil industry.

Re: Baby Jessica Today

september — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 02:12:28 GMT

I have one of these old wells right behind my house, but it's capped off. Why would this not be required?

Re: Baby Jessica Today

AuntMame — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 09:36:15 GMT

@PurpleBunny wrote:
I remember there was some sort of issue with the parents fighting over control of the money or a law suit with the first responders or something. I can't recall the details, but I know there was some type of negative controversy around the story regarding money. I know that I felt badly when reading about it because it had been such a feel
-good story.

I believe the fight was over who had the rights to sell the story to TV/movies/books. The family had cut a deal to sell their first-person story to a production company but the emergency workers either felt cut out or wanted to pursue selling their story to someone else. The city of Midland also wanted to share in the prosperity somehow because the rescue had cost the city a great deal of money. Don't know how that was all resolved.

I recall watching the saga on TV and omigosh, it was so harrowing! So utterly terrifying! Imagine being those parents! Imagine being that poor child!

I'm so glad that "Baby Jessica" turned out o.k. and is leading a happy life!

The incident was considered to be the genesis of what we know today as reality TV. At the time there was a major Hollywood writers strike so many shows had either halted broadcasting or were showing only reruns. Live broadcasts from Midland, TX filled in the hours, and network execs were astonished to see the high ratings. Shows featuring reality-style programming began proliferating shortly after. Without Baby Jessica we probably would have been spared the live slow-motion O.J. freeway chase a few years later.

Re: Baby Jessica Today

AuntMame — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 09:38:19 GMT

@september wrote:
I have one of these old wells right behind my house, but it's capped off. Why would this not be required?

I always wondered that too. And they were runnning a daycare center with little kids playing in the vacinity???

Re: Baby Jessica Today

beckyb1012 — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 12:56:59 GMT

The nation was glued to their t.v. and praying so hard. It was hard to hear years later her rescuer could not save himself and felt taking his own life was his only option.

I am glad she is well and happy.

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/23/magazine/death-on-the-cnn-curve.html?pagewanted=all

Re: Baby Jessica Today

happycat — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 12:58:06 GMT

Thank for for posting this @lolakimono. I remember this so well, as everyone else I am sure. I'm so glad she is doing well. This is a great way to start my day!