30 Years After Baby Jessica Fell Into A Well In 1987, She Comes Forward To Talk About Her Life As An Adult

Mar 18, 2020

Back in 1987, the story of baby Jessica McClure captivated the nation. At only 18 months old, baby Jessica was stuck in a well in her hometown of Midland, Texas. Over the course of two days, rescue workers and paramedics worked eagerly to free Jessica from the 8-inch well, where she was trapped 22 feet below the surface. News media from around the country reported on the harrowing incident as the ever-eloquent President Ronald Reagan declared that every American had become godmothers and godfathers to little Jessica.

Initially, the Midland Fire Department thought that rescuing the little girl would take only a few hours. As they began working, first responders discovered a problem: the rock around the wall of the well was too thick to be penetrated by conventional means. Desperate to free the little one, rescuers sought the advice of miners and engineering experts. With the help of these professionals, the Midland Fire Department utilized a new type of waterjet cutting technology to pierce through the rock. After a nail biting 58 hours, the rescuers were able to reach baby Jessica.

In a moment of intense joy, the world watched and breathed a sigh of relief as Robert O’Donnell, a paramedic with the Midland Fire Department, extricated baby Jessica from the well and put her in the loving embrace of fellow paramedic Steve Forbes. While shocked, the baby girl was okay. A photograph from the incident was even awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography in 1988.

While Jessica might have been rescued from the well, her story has become a fixture of American pop culture for decades. Two years after the rescue, the story was turned into a TV movie starring Patty Duke and Beau Bridges entitled Everybody’s Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure. The film even featured several of Jessica’s real-life rescuers as extras. The story has also been parodied and referenced on countless television shows, most notably The Simpsons and Modern Family.

30 years after the rescue, the now-adult Jessica McClure has come forward to talk about her life. Jessica now has two children of her own, Simon, who is 9, and Sheyenne, who is 7. The proud mom has pursued a career in education and is now an assistant special education teacher. Although the recipient of a $1.2 million trust, Jessica told Inside Edition that the money was lost in a series of bad investments.

In an interview with Inside Edition, Jessica told reporters that her rescue from the well has taught her to not take life for granted because it can all be taken away in a moment. Still a resident of Midland, Jessica fervently says: "My life is a miracle."

In the end, Jessica’s story is one of the power of the community. In 1987, the entire country came together to save baby Jessica. Thanks to the heroism of the Midland Fire Department, Jessica got a chance to live and have a family of her own.

What do you think of the story of baby Jessica McClure? Do you have any memories of hearing about the story in the 80s? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to your friends and family.