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Family of youngest Odessa mass shooting survivor shares story of hope - KOSA

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ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) - Monday marks exactly one year since the mass shooting, which stole seven innocent lives and injured two dozen others.

On this first anniversary, Shelby Landgraf brings us a story of healing, resiliency and brighter days ahead.

How do you measure a year? In smiles or laughs?

If little Anderson Davis was counting, that would be it.

“She’s just a dream, honestly,” her mom, Kelby Davis, said. “She’s just fun and happy and full of laughter!”

But from the beginning, a lot more than giggles and family games have been packed into just a few years for Anderson and her twin brother, Rhett.

“Really their whole story was really hard and tragic, from being pregnant and losing their triplet and how they entered this world and being in the NICU and being so sick,” Kelby explained. “Anderson was on life-support the first several days.”

Now at two-and-a-half-years-old, Anderson and Rhett are healthy and happy.

“When she smiles at you -- and as beautiful and smart and happy and joyous as that smile is -- it’s hard to not be reminded of it, but it also just reminds us of all the blessings,” Kelby said.

For Kelby and Garrett Davis, the emotions that accompany their daughter’s beautiful smile can be complicated.

“I think she was the smile seen around the world, for heartbreaking reasons,” Kelby said with tears in her eyes. “It’s not the way you ever want your child’s smile to be seen.”

At 17-months-old, Anderson was the youngest one shot in the Odessa mass shooting rampage. Shrapnel hit her in the chest and face.

“This was just a random act of hate,” Kelby said. “We were very literally sitting in the wrong place at the wrong time that day.”

One year later, Anderson only has a tiny piece of shrapnel left in her chest -- too dangerous to remove -- and some faint scars on her face, that will likely fade.

“It’s hard sometimes, we don’t know why we all survived it, but others didn’t,” Kelby said wiping away tears. “But I just want them to know that we will live our lives to honor them. Their story will always be a part of our family story, our children’s story.”

Kelby’s compassion and empathy are obvious. She can’t mention her gratitude, without feeling grief for the other families.

“Just thankful and just grateful, and y’all every time I say that my heart rips a little,” Kelby said with tears in her eyes. “I pray for anyone whose family member didn’t make it that day. I pray that they don’t feel like they don’t have anything to be thankful for. I pray that that is not how they feel, but I could understand if they struggle with that. So I don’t take that lightly, but I just think whatever your situation that day, just understand there’s something bigger than this.”

Kelby’s faith is steadfast. As the Assistant Pastor at The Bridge, she shares it freely and openly

She focuses daily on grace, compassion and connection -- especially on this milestone.

“I pray that we also use this opportunity to remember how thankful we are for our first responders, the angels who literally saved our lives that day,” Kelby said.

As life-long Odessans, both Kelby and Garrett also offer up their unending gratitude to the entire West Texas community for its care.

“It’s incredibly humbling to be on the receiving end of that,” Kelby said. “But it doesn’t necessarily surprise me from our community, because we live in such a beautiful community, that’s full of beautiful people.”

“It’s still amazing to look around even a year later, and amidst everything else that people have going on in their lives, to still see Odessa strong stickers, to see the yellow ribbons,” Garrett said.

Kelby and Garrett choose to count this past year in displays of support, strength, and constant hope for the future.

“I do think that we keep proving through this last year that Odessans are strong and resilient and that we can fight and work together,” Kelby said. “Out of everything that happened, I don’t ever want that to be lost. That urgent sense of rallying and community and hope. That is something we have to carry into the far future. Anderson and Rhett’s generation, they have to still feel that years later.”

No one knows what the next year will hold. But today the Davis family is counting their blessings, enjoying smiles and choosing hope.

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