KENNER, La. — As a torrential storm pounded Kenner, Pan Am Flight 759 took off from New Orleans International Airport.
Moments later, a powerful windshear slammed the plane into a Kenner neighborhood, killing 153 people both in the plane and on the ground.
40 years later, their families and loved ones still gather to honor their memory.
"I think it's a tribute to the strength of the people that were impacted, that they still have the courage to come together and share," Aaron Broussard, who was in his first term as Mayor of Kenner when the crash happened.
Through the tears, three women came forward to share their stories about the day that changed their lives. Among them was Melissa "Missy" Trahan, known as the "Miracle Baby."
Trahan's mother and sister died when Pan Am Flight 759 crashed into their neighborhood, but Melissa was miraculously found in the rubble at just 16-months-old.
For her, the past 40 years have been a life time. She's grown into much more than just the "Miracle Baby."
"You all made me want to be a better person, a better mother, a better wife, daughter and a better friend," she said to the gathered crowd.
Trahan says it's the stories, the faces and the days like today that help her live with the tragedy of Pan Am 759.
"All of my life I've been called the 'Miracle Baby,' but the true miracle in all of this is that 40 years later here we are all together, remembering those we lost, but also celebrating the fact that they lived," she said.
It's a miracle that keeps the memory of Pan Am 759 alive 40 years later.
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