"Baby Jessica" McClure, now 25 y/o, gets access to $800,000 trust fund for falling down a hole

Baby Jessica is all grown up. She's Mama Jessica now.

The toddler who tumbled down an abandoned water well and got trapped more than two decades ago turns 25 today, a milestone that gives her access to a trust fund of up to $800,000 donated by thousands of sympathetic strangers who spent 2½ days glued to the television until she was free...

Link

I wonder if she'll ever offer any of the money back since she and her husband own a mobile car- and truck-washing business out of their home. God forbid some of the people who donated may actually be a lot worse off than they were in 1987.

Probably not.

Peace

Wow. I think I have an idea...........................

reply to post by CanadianDream420


someone pushed her in that well, probably her husband,

howabout you push me in a well than you run, and we can split the proceeds 60/40

Lets hope that word of this does not get around during this economy , else we may have a rash of babies being thrown down wells. COME ON BABY, DADDY NEED A NEW PAIR OF SHOES!

I'm unsure why she should give the money back. It wasn't a loan and it wasn't given with the intent to get any back.

Money was given out of compassion and it looks like so far she has been very responsible with what she has. She bought a home with some of it.

I think she is doing great from the sounds of it and it's not like she is trying to exploit anyone.

She should keep the money.

By two bits.

reply to post by Dr Love


What are you talking about? She somehow doesn't deserve what was giving to her because she has a business? This is the dumbest whiniest post I have ever seen.You are pathetic.

WOW! that was 1987? i remember watching it live on the news! i was like 12 at the time! i felt so bad even then, a baby fell down a well, hoping it owuld be rescued. its interesting, people donated money that ended up in a trust fund? i mean yuode think the money THEN was for her hospitol bills and all. It does go to show, how much people cared back then, than they do now....
to me, it appears her father put the money, into the trust fund, hospitol bills musta been minimal, or he had the cash at the time anyways. if thats the case, i dont blame him...would yuo have done different? like spend it all?

People gave her the money out of the kindness of their hearts when she was just a toddler. It's her money to keep. If something bad happened to me as a small child that caused me to have a trust fund, I wouldn't feel any obligation to give it back to people some 20+ years later.

If she wants to give it away to charity that's her business - but hey, maybe she'll use the money to hire workers and expand her business, and help out local folks that way. More power to her!

On this posting I would say that running a "mobile" car/truck wash is like saying I sell Tupperware or Avon, yet Tupperware and Avon may actually be a bit more lucrative. I have known several people who have run mobile car washes and unless you do mobile wash for a set major account like a dealership or car rental place you pretty much barely make it in life.

I myself am happy for their good fortune. I hope she and her family is blessed with the smarts to spend it wisely.

reply to post by ziggy1706


i would donate some of the money, but thats just me, nothing wrong with spending all of it

but the real question is, who donates money to a girl that ends up at the bottom of a well?

couldnt we all donate money to something useful?

if nothing more how about the guys that pulled her out of that thing?

Originally posted by knowthyneighbor
reply to post by CanadianDream420

 

someone pushed her in that well, probably her husband,

howabout you push me in a well than you run, and we can split the proceeds 60/40

Her husband pushed her down a well when she was 18 months old? Good for you. How perceptive.

She has been diagnosed with rhumatoid arthritis. If you don't know what that is, look it up. She is not going to have an easy life. As for the money, why should she even try to give it back? It was freely given. The parents did the proper thing by placing it in trust at the time.

Her parents were teenagers when she fell down that well, living in Midland (which is no great shakes for a young struggling family). With that 800k, she can make damn sure that her own children don't have to go through whatever hardships she had growing up in crummy old Midland, and go to a good college when they're grown. I'm glad for her, getting that money. I hope it's the foundation for her life kicking butt from here on out.

Originally posted by schuyler

Originally posted by knowthyneighbor
reply to post by CanadianDream420

 

someone pushed her in that well, probably her husband,

howabout you push me in a well than you run, and we can split the proceeds 60/40

Her husband pushed her down a well when she was 18 months old? Good for you. How perceptive.

She has been diagnosed with rhumatoid arthritis. If you don't know what that is, look it up. She is not going to have an easy life. As for the money, why should she even try to give it back? It was freely given. The parents did the proper thing by placing it in trust at the time.

i never said she was married when this happened dont take my words out of context oh perceptive one

Originally posted by Dr Love


I wonder if she'll ever offer any of the money back since her and her husband own a mobile car- and truck-washing business out of their home. God forbid some of the people who donated may actually be a lot worse off than they were in 1987.

Probably not.

Dr. Love?

I'm only a year older than her but I remember reading about this story a little while back. I don't think she should have to pay the money back, it was donated from caring people due to her unfortunate circumstance.

Although, Paying it forward is something that she should do. Even if its a small donation, such as providing a few thousand to a local charity. If we become fortunate on someone else's dollar, than provide support to those less fortunate on your dollar.

Great to see that she is doing well!

Originally posted by knowthyneighbor

Originally posted by schuyler

Originally posted by knowthyneighbor
reply to post by CanadianDream420

 

someone pushed her in that well, probably her husband,

howabout you push me in a well than you run, and we can split the proceeds 60/40

Her husband pushed her down a well when she was 18 months old? Good for you. How perceptive.

She has been diagnosed with rhumatoid arthritis. If you don't know what that is, look it up. She is not going to have an easy life. As for the money, why should she even try to give it back? It was freely given. The parents did the proper thing by placing it in trust at the time.

i never said she was married when this happened dont take my words out of context oh perceptive one

He didn't take it out of context, even I thought you meant she was married by saying her husband did it. Rewrite your post maybe because it didn't make sense.

I believe she should pay at least a portion of it forward, possibly to a lower income family currently dealing with a crisis involving their children or make a large donation to one of the worlds many children's charities.

At the time the money was donated in the spirit of using it to pay for things like baby Jessica's medical care and the heavy equipment needed to extricate the toddler from the well.

I'm sure none of the many generous donors at the time did so with the thought of creating a trust fund large enough to buy a new Ferrari and condo in the Hamptons paid out to a 25 year old successful adult Jessica.

Why should she give it back? Or why should she feel bad or make retribution for people donating money to her?
Honestly, I'm impressed that her parents didn't blow through it way back when.

Originally posted by knowthyneighbor

Originally posted by schuyler

Originally posted by knowthyneighbor
reply to post by CanadianDream420

 

someone pushed her in that well, probably her husband,

howabout you push me in a well than you run, and we can split the proceeds 60/40

Her husband pushed her down a well when she was 18 months old? Good for you. How perceptive.

She has been diagnosed with rhumatoid arthritis. If you don't know what that is, look it up. She is not going to have an easy life. As for the money, why should she even try to give it back? It was freely given. The parents did the proper thing by placing it in trust at the time.

i never said she was married when this happened dont take my words out of context oh perceptive one

wow really dude?

someone pushed her in that well, probably her husband, howabout you push me in a well than you run, and we can split the proceeds 60/40

your going to argue that?

seriously what is happening here on ATS?

Deny Ignorance

Originally posted by searching4truth
Why should she give it back? Or why should she feel bad or make retribution for people donating money to her?
Honestly, I'm impressed that her parents didn't blow through it way back when.

Agreed. People shouldn't be angry with the parents for being smart and putting away money that people freely gave to them. Bravo to them for being smart. I mean honestly, what is the difference between them spending the money then or 25 years later? Let me answer that before the smart alecs answer.....nothing

And if she buys a Ferrari or whatever, so be it. But I hope she does something better with the money

(On a side note, do the word's "smart alecs" look strange to anyone else? Haha.)