Moore Teacher Names Baby In Tribute To Fallen Students

A Plaza Towers Elementary teacher who was badly injured in the Moore tornado says it is a miracle her unborn baby survived.

Jennifer Doan said she named her baby in tribute to the students who lost their lives in the storm.

Seven children passed away in Plaza Towers and six of them were Doan's students. Doan's 2-week-old son went through a lot with his mother before he was ever born.

Doan was eight weeks pregnant with him when the tornado hit on May 20, 2013. Huddled in the hallway, she shielded students with her body.

"When it hit, the crying stopped," Doan said.

Doan was buried in debris and knew some of her kids did not make it. She fractured her spine and her sternum and was certain she lost the baby, but doctors found a heartbeat.

"I was so relieved in that moment because, for hours before that, I thought I had lost him, too," Doan recalled.

Doan and her husband decided on "Jack" for a first name, but wanted a special middle name. Doan picked the name Nicolas after her student, Nicolas McCabe.

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"He had a humongous smile," Doan said.

Nicolas' death has been very hard on Doan.

"He was the closest one to me that I actually had my hand on who didn't make it," she explained.

One day, Jack will know the story and why his name is so special, even more special than Doan first thought.

A friend pointed out that Jack's name actually was a tribute to all of the kids.

"J" for Janae Hornsby, Sydney Angle makes the "A," the "C" comes from Antonia Candelaria, Emily Conatzer and Christopher Legg, then the "K" is for Kyle Davis.

"All of those kids, they were just so … they carried a big piece of me with them and they are a big piece of me and I think they're a big piece of Jack, too, because he was down in there with me," Doan said.

Scott and Stacey McCabe said this is the second baby named after their son, Nicolas.

The McCabes told News 9 they are honored and proud that Nicolas touched so many lives and he's still touching lives even in death.

Doan hopes to be cleared for teaching in time for the next school year.