
For 58 agonising hours in 1987, millions of Americans held their breath as a little girl lay trapped deep beneath the ground, with the entire nation praying for a miracle.
In October 1987, 18-month-old Jessica McClure became known to the world as 'Baby Jessica', after falling into an abandoned well in her aunt's backyard in Midland, Texas.
What followed was a race against time that gripped America, with rescuers desperately digging through rock and earth to reach the toddler as the world watched on live television. And when rescuers finally pulled her from the narrow well alive, the country erupted in relief.
Nearly four decades later, the little girl at the centre of one of America's most unforgettable rescue missions is now 39 - and her life looks very different from the one that captivated a nation.
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Speaking with PEOPLE in 2017, Jessica claimed that what happened to her was an 'amazing miracle', as she said: "In a way I guess it happened the way it was supposed to.
"I was picked on because of it, but most people are kind. I don’t believe that any of it would’ve happened without God."
And she has come a long way from the emergency situation, with children and grandchildren of her own.

She remains located in rural Texas, and lives a quiet life with her husband Danny Morales, who she met in 2005 and married the following year.
Her husband was 13 at the time of her rescue, and remembers exactly where he was when news broke that Jessica had been safely retrieved from the well.
Attending a football game in his town, he recalled: "They stopped the whole game to say, 'Baby Jessica has been rescued', It was pretty cool."
Following the extraordinary ordeal, a trust fund worth $1.2 million was established using public donations, with Danny’s mother among those who contributed.
Jessica said: "She went and scrounged every penny she could find to send it to me. Danny remembers sitting there with her as she held him tight, being thankful that she had them and that it wasn’t one of her kids."

She explained that much of the fund was lost during the 2008 recession, although she used some of the money to purchase a home.
What is 'Baby Jessica' doing now?
The mom-of-two was previously a special education assistant at an elementary school, but now works in Midland at Richards Horticulture.
However, earlier this year, Jessica made headlines again for a totally different reason.
She was arrested in April following a reported domestic disturbance at her home, and was later charged with assault causing bodily injury involving family violence.
Officials later stated that the 39-year-old had been released from the Midland County Detention Center after posting bond.