Here’s what “Baby Jessica” who was rescued from a well 30 years ago looks like today

In 1987, the world watched in shock and horror as an 18-month-old baby was trapped inside a well for 58 hours. She accidentally fell 22 feet down into her aunt’s well in Midland, TX while playing with other children, and it took rescuers more than two days to rescue her. The whole time she was without food and water, so it was a miracle that she survived and lived to tell the tale. She was known across the country Baby Jessica, and everyone was relieved to hear when she was finally rescued and returned to her family.

Today Baby Jessica is Jessica McClure Morales, and she’s a 30-year-old mother of two children, 9-year-old Simon and 7-year-old Sheyenne. The family lives in Midland, TX, where Jessica’s son and daughter have recently learned about the ordeal she endured as a baby.

Naturally, Jessica doesn’t have any recollection about what happened to her, but she is well aware of how fortunate she is to have survived it all. The well she fell into was extremely narrow, which prompted the rescue team to drill a parallel wall and make a tunnel to Baby Jessica. It was a delicate procedure that took many hours. She spoke to PEOPLE about what life has been like for her since that fateful day.

She’s now happily married to Danny Morales, 43, and people in her hometown still refer to her affectionately as Baby Jessica. During the 58 hours she was stuck in the well, people from everywhere donated to a trust fund that was meant for Jessica to access when she grew up. She used that money to buy a beautiful home with a big backyard for her kids to play in.

“I think it’s amazing that people would come together like that to donate money to a child that was not theirs,” she told PEOPLE. “I appreciate everything they did.”

Jessica says her right foot is still smaller than her left. It had to be reconstructed due to the gangrene that occurred while her foot was held above her head in the well. At the time, the damage was so bad it nearly had to be amputated. There’s also a scar on her forehead from the drilling of the well that took place while she was asleep. Other than that, Jessica is perfectly healthy and she’s thankful to be alive.

We couldn’t be happier that Jessica is alive and well, and she’s surrounded by a family who loves her. Baby Jessica made it!