PADUCAH, Ky. (WTVF) — The community that has dubbed itself "Marshall Strong" continues to hold its reputation of supporting the families of the victims killed in the Marshall County High School shooting.
There have been countless donations and memorials since the January 23rd tragedy that claimed the lives of Bailey Holt and Preston Cope.
Bailey's aunt Tracy Tubbs keeps the glasses her niece is known to wear. She also has other items around the house including a sign saying "Be Like Bailey" to remember the 15-year-old.
It took months for her to dig deep and go back to the day of the shooting and the last time she saw Bailey alive.
"I remember hugging her, and the hug lasted a little longer," Tubbs said. "She was so easy to hug, so, sometimes this sounds crazy but I'll just hug myself and reenact that hug because it was so good and so long and I just wish I can hug her one more time."
Tubbs said her grandparents would visit her grave site every single day. While it has been tough to lose Bailey, Tubbs keeps a photo album on her phone with her pictures as a reminder of the good times.
"She was just a sweetheart to have around and I was so humbled to be her aunt for 15 years. Bailey being as kind as she was wanted everybody to do good things for the community," Tubbs added.
Bailey's dream was to also become a labor and delivery nurse. She was known to be nurturing and good with little kids.
The hospital where Bailey's mom works, Baptist Health Hospital in Paducah, posted a plaque marking her an honorary labor and delivery nurse.
Her legacy of wanting to take care of others continues at the hospital with the help of the Paducah Stitch 'n Quilt Guild.
Julie Harris of the guild began a community service project in October after she was contacted by the hospital to do something that would commemorate Bailey. Her guild decided to make quilts for the isolettes at the NICU center.
They would stitch a label at the end that said, "Be Like Bailey, Just Be Kind."
"It was very fitting that we would do something like this," Harris said. "The label kind of inspires conversation about Bailey."
Fellow quilters Norma Harned said she is honored to show love for the Holt family. A quilt to her means a chance to give back to others.
Carole Green said it is an extension of her love.
"It's nice we're able to connect with that and keep her in people's minds. She was a real positive, upbeat and caring person, and she wanted to become a nurse and that says a lot about her character," Green said.
The quilts help keep a warm and dark environment for premature babies.
So far the guild has taken five quilts to the hospital with more on the way.
Murray State University, where Bailey wanted to go to school, also established the Bailey Holt Memorial Nursing Scholarship.
In order to make it a permanent scholarship, it would need $25,000 but is currently below $10,000.
