Jessica
's mother Cissy McClureJessica
's mother Cissy McClureBy Gary Ott
City Editor
The first two paragraphs of the first newspaper article describing the events of what would become known as the "Jessica McClure story'' appeared in the Oct. 14, 1987, edition of the Midland Reporter-Telegram - then an afternoon publication - and they went like this:
"An 18-month-old girl apparently escaped critical injury this morning after falling 18 to 20 feet down an abandoned residential water well on Midland's west side.
"At noon today, the girl, Jessica McClure, remained trapped at or near the bottom of the well, located in the back yard of a residence at 3309 Tanner Drive.''
Little did anyone know at the time that some 58 hours later the world would unite and celebrate as television cameras captured the child's dramatic rescue on film.
But that is exactly what happened.
And now 10 years later, many people, both Midland residents and those who witnessed the drama from afar, still insist that the entire rescue mission was one of the best examples of people of all backgrounds coming together in the selfless pursuit of a common goal.
And in this case, that goal was to save the life of a small girl the whole world seemed to adopt as its own.
From the beginning, there was a sense of optimism among the rescue workers that "it would be only a matter of time'' before Jessica would be back in the arms of her parents. That optimism turned out to be well-founded, though it took a bit longer than most people expected.
For example, on the morning of Day 2 - Thursday, Oct. 15 - authorities were quoted in the newspaper as saying, "Jessica might not be freed until 6 p.m. today.''
They were wrong on two counts.
She was not freed until 8 p.m., and it was not until the following day, Friday, Oct. 16.
But when that moment arrived, there was an explosion of emotions.
Horns honked.
Church bells rang.
Voices cheered.
Tears flowed.
Jessica, meanwhile, was rushed to Midland Memorial Hospital, where two days later she underwent surgery to remove dead tissue contained in her right foot and began procedures for cosmetic surgery on her forehead.
But the world did not forget its adopted child after the drama ended.
Almost immediately, gifts, especially stuffed animals, began pouring into the hospital, and volunteers there reported fielding more than 50 phone calls an hour from well-wishers, the vast majority of who had never met Jessica or her family.
They just wanted to offer their hopes and prayers.
Reports from the hospital continued to be positive and upbeat. It soon became obvious that the child was going to make a remarkable and speedy recovery.
And she did.
But the story would not go away.
Nor did people want it to.
Even the White House got in on the act. Vice President George Bush, a former Midland resident, and his wife, Barbara, visited Jessica in her hospital room on Sunday, Oct. 18.
But there was another purpose to Bush's visit. He wanted to take the opportunity to salute the cooperative and compassionate spirit that eventually led to the rescue.
Indeed, it was that volunteer spirit that soon became almost as big a part of the story as the rescue itself.
It began with a parade.
But this was not your typical small get-together in downtown Midland.
Not by a long shot.
Some 35,000 to 40,000 residents - more than a third of the city's population - lined the streets on Thursday, Oct. 29, to honor the many men and women who helped make the rescue a reality.
Among the volunteers who rode flat-bed trucks, vintage cars and vehicles and equipment that contributed to the rescue were the men who actually dug a parallel tunnel to reach the girl and the neighbors who opened their homes to rescue workers and members of the news media.
More than 400 volunteers took part in the parade.
One day later - Friday, Oct. 30 - Oprah Winfrey broadcast her popular TV program from the Midland Center and during the course of the show said, "America is alive in Midland.''
Yes, Midland had every reason to be proud.
And the good news continued to fall in place, culminating with a dramatic event that occurred at noon on Friday, Nov. 20.
Jessica McClure left the hospital.
She was going home.
The Reporter-Telegram described her departure this way:
"Two pink satin bows which deck the window of Room No. 330 were all that remained of Jessica McClure Friday following her noon liberation from Midland Memorial Hospital.
"The crowd cheered and the hospital president wept, as Jessica - in a heroine's parade of her own - was pulled down the hospital's front entrance wheelchair ramp by a pediatric nurse.
"Clutching Winnie the Pooh and sporting a new satin baseball jacket from the Midland Police and Fire Departments and furry red booties, the pigtailed Jessica wore her 36-day-old celebrity status well.
"She smiled and she cooed and waved at the 50 or so onlookers who'd come to bid her farewell. Faint scars were apparent on the front and back of her head. A walking cast was on her right foot, but that didn't hinder Jessica from tottering to a waiting car.''
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For a while the hoopla ended.
The rescue was successful.
The heroes had been honored.
And now the child was safely back at home.
But things would not remain quiet. Midland, and the world, had not heard the last of the Jessica McClure story.
Two more events would guarantee that.
The year was 1989. First there was a made-for-TV movie about the rescue - which aired on May 21 - and then later in the year - on Nov. 1 - President Bush presented the people of Sioux City, Iowa, with the first Midland Community Spirit Award, an honor that was established by local leaders to recognize residents of another city who exhibit the volunteer spirit and community action displayed by Midlanders in the Jessica rescue.
Both events gained widespread attention and put the event - and Midland - back in the national spotlight.
The ABC movie, "Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure,'' was especially long-awaited by Midlanders.
Indeed, on that Sunday night there was a festive mood throughout the city as local residents gathered in front of their television sets to relive the drama and excitement that had unfolded less than two years earlier.
Although Midlanders interviewed after the movie - which earlier had created a lengthy and highly visible split among various factions of the rescue effort - gave it mixed reviews, everyone found something they could relate to. After all, most had been there.
Jessica's father, Chip McClure, for example, said, "We thought it was real accurate. I think the spirit of the volunteers was reincarnated pretty well in the movie. They captured a feeling that everyone there could really relate to.''
And while Fire Chief James Roberts said "... parts of it were very corny,'' he did note that, "It depicted Midland in a good light.''
As exciting and thrilling as the movie turned out to be for local residents, it was the creation of the Midland Community Spirit Award that became the true testament to the volunteerism that made the Jessica McClure story such an uplifting one for so many people.
The award, eventually to be presented every other year, was the brainstorm of former mayor, Carroll Thomas, and was intended to recognize the citizens of a community in the same manner Midland volunteers were recognized by the nation following Jessica's rescue.
It was a big hit.
And still is, in part because Abigail Van Buren, of "Dear Abby'' fame, has used her natioºnally syndicated column to seek nominations.
Indeed, in less than a week after Mayor Thomas' request for nominations appeared in her column, there were more than 110 inquiries.
In the end, there were 85 official nominations.
That group was then narrowed down to the 17 semifinalists.
But when all was said and done, there could be just one winner: the citizens of Sioux City, Iowa, who were honored for their generosity and compassion in the aftermath of the crash of United Airlines Flight 232.
President Bush presented the award to Sioux City officials on behalf of Midland in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, as Jessica, her parents and dignitaries from the two cities looked on.
It was at that White House ceremony that Thomas perhaps best summed up the feelings behind the creation of the award. He said:
"Two years ago, Midlanders were involved in the rescue of a little 18-month-old girl. Many of our citizens rushed to volunteer, roll up their sleeves and help and do whatever they could do to participate in this rescue.
"Because of the great outpouring that we had from people all over the country, literally all over the world, congratulating us, praying for us, telling us how pleased and proud they were, we came to realize that these kinds of things happen in other communities, too.
"As a matter of fact, they happen a lot more often than we really realize. We also realized that there were many awards for individuals, but there were no awards for a community as a whole. So we have established the Midland Community Spirit Award to be an award recognizing the community that best exemplifies volunteerism and compassion and concern for their fellow citizens.''
Those are lofty words, indeed.
But, fortunately, the nominations keep coming and coming and coming.