By Jessica Stasiw
Editor, In Military Education
Since Michael Maroney began his latest social mission, the online world has been abuzz with hope and helping hands for the potential reunion. Around this time each year for the past 10 years he’s been looking for the bright spot from his rescue efforts after Hurricane Katrina, this little girl. No, he doesn’t know her name, but her smile and resilience in the face of such tragedy and loss, along with this image, were enough to tie her to his memory. She was only about three or four at the time.
We all remember the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. Many had to restore not only their homes, but they had to rebuild their lives as well. For Maroney, saving the little girl and her family that day made a permanent impression on his life. Her smile and perseverance even after seeing her home and school underwater were uplifting to him. His search for her has spanned over the past decade, and each year around the same time, he puts up the same photo with the same plea, to help him locate the girl that brought light to such a dark event.
See below for the ABC News highlight video.