It was 15 years ago Wednesday that a little girl from Midland captured
the heart of the nation.
For almost 60 hours, baby Jessica McClure was trapped 22 feet
underground after falling in her backyard well. The nation held its
breath and prayed as rescue workers frantically tried to reach the
18-month-old.
Her parents Chip and Sissy McClure never gave up hope their daughter
would be rescued.
"With the Lord's help, we know she's going to make it," Chip McClure said.
Their prayers were answered: on October 16, 1987, Baby Jessica was
pulled from the well after over two days.
Today, Jessica is 16 years old, and lives with her father and stepmother
in Tyler. She goes to a private school there, and according to her
family, she is a normal teenager.
In an interview with Ladies' Home Journal, the 16-year-old said she
doesn't remember what happened, but still bears the scars. She has had
60 percent of her right foot removed, and 13 reconstructive surgeries.
She has had no plastic surgery, however - she said the permanent scars
on her face are part of who she is.
McClure says she's a typical teenager, with dreams of one day getting
married and having children. Baby Jessica is almost all grown up.
Video: Rebecca Lopez reports