Nurith Nupur#FindKatrinaGirl
This was only Maroney’s second post on social media, which he posted after his original meeting with the little girl he had posted ten years prior. Goard went ahead and created the hashtag “FindKatrinaGirl”, which was luckily picked up by the producers of the TV show, ‘The Real.’ It helped immensely with the search, and soon enough, they found the little girl and immediately informed Maroney.
Producers Make Connections
“The Real” is a show hosted by an all-female panel, where each of panelists discusses their life experiences. The producers of the show were touched by the emotional story of Maroney and the child, and they knew they had to reunite the pair. The relentless search for the “Katrina Girl” bore fruits, and they soon invited them to the show to meet each other once again.
Who Is Katrina Girl?
At the time of the rescue, the little toddler was only 3-years-old. Ten years had passed since the rescue so this little girl could be anywhere. Luckily, with the help of social media and a TV production crew, the search was easily completed. The little girl was now a 13-year-old young woman entering high school and living in Mississippi. Her name was LeShay Brown.
Anxiously Awaiting
Ten years had passed since the original search for the Katrina Girl had begun, so Maroney was understandably overwhelmed at the aspect of finally meeting her. “I can’t wait to meet her to tell her how important she is,” he told People magazine.
She Didn’t Know He Was Looking
LeShay had little to no recollection of the hug taking place, but her mother remembered it well. But LeShay was excited nonetheless about the news. “I was excited that he was looking for me for such a long time, ” she told People. “I’ve barely seen any of the pictures!”
Showtime
On a fortuitous day in September 21015, LeShay and Maroney were invited to the set of “The Real.” After the many years of carrying the picture with him for comforting, he would finally be able to meet the little girl who inspired so much courage in him. Before LeShay was brought out on stage, Maroney gushed about how that simple hug had affected him.He said, “If she’s strong enough to handle this, I can handle this.”