Nurith NupurPut Him In La-La Land
Maroney recalled the horrors he witnessed the week he was on rescue duty. Seeing the havoc the hurricane had wreaked on the neighborhood left him feeling depressed. But after his encounter with the Browns, he felt a renewed sense of purpose. “It had been such a rough week when she wrapped me up in that hug, I was in la-la land. Nothing else existed. I was just loving that hug,” Maroney told the Washington Post.
A Hug Forever Captured
A few press photographers were present, to capture the ongoing rescue. And one such photographer clicked the iconic moment which went on to circle the globe and even won awards. Maroney was given a copy of the picture that captured the endearing moment. The photograph became a cherished item for the soldier, who carried it with him on his tours to Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Picture Goes Global
The picture of the little girl hugging the sergeant became an emblem for the hurricane Katrina rescue efforts. The cherished picture soon became a marketing gimmick and could be found on military coins, Burger King placemats, to AT&T phone cards.
The Picture Meant So Much
As the sad reality of soldiers goes, Maroney too suffered from PTSD. But having the photograph reminded him that not everything was bad in the world, that his deployment served a purpose. The photo got him through the tough times and brought a sense of comfort. He knew he had to reconnect with the little girl to express his gratitude for that one moment of kindness.
The Search Begins
Nearly 5 years after the iconic hug, Maroney knew it was time to find the girl he had once saved. He decided to make a post on social media and he even tweeted at Oprah. Unfortunately, his first post was unsuccessful with only 42 likes and Oprah did not respond. However, he did not give up hope and posted again. The second time around, the post went viral.
Social Media Success
Maroney’s original efforts on social media came out empty handed, but he kept trying and posted again and again. In the meantime, there was a teenager in Michigan, named Andrew Goard, who was fascinated with para -rescuers. So much so, he had an Instagram page honoring the jumpers, which had over 3,000 followers. Goard got wind of the campaign and posted to his Instagram. Due to a large number of followers, the campaign began to catch and was eventually found by the Air Force Times. The Air Force Times wrote an article on the search and the story went viral.