NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nearly three months have passed since the shooting at Antioch High School, where 16-year-old Dayana Corea Escalante was killed. On Wednesday, April 9, she would have celebrated her 17th birthday, and her family is dedicated to honoring her memory.
A family gathering filled with love, yet a piece of their heart is missing. “It hurts every day,” said Josseline Escalante in Spanish, “but especially on her birthday.”
Heartfelt messages fill Dayana’s room for her 17th birthday. Her mom, Josseline, decorated it herself.
“I wanted to do this in her memory and so that she knows that she will always be in our minds and our hearts,” Josseline explained in Spanish.
Josseline ensures the bedroom remains just as her daughter left it. Her clothes hang neatly, her makeup is on the vanity, and her soccer shoes rest on the bed.
“It wasn’t the way for her to die,” Josseline said in Spanish. “Not like that.”
On January 22, a student opened fire in Antioch High School’s cafeteria, shooting Dayana and injuring another student before taking his own life. Josseline and her family rushed to the school and witnessed Dayana’s final moments.
“I knew she wasn’t going to come back because I saw her mouth full of blood,” Josseline added in Spanish. “I saw her, and it was something incredibly hard for me.”
Josseline's grief has been complicated as she navigates the loss of one child while she is pregnant with another.
“Just need people to care,” said Jazzett Little. “We need to love on one another.”
That’s why, in the midst of Dayana's birthday, Little organized the community to throw a baby shower for the Corea Escalante family.
“Be here for a special day, almost for the baby girl to come soon,” said Barcater Nashville Bartender Jimena Sanchez.
Family members, volunteers, and strangers gathered to welcome the new life on the way.
“We just wanted to ease that pain a little bit,” explained co-organizer Sandra Hernandez, “and welcome her new baby girl into this world.”
For the Escalante family, this outpouring of support has been a source of comfort. “It was beautiful, and we thank the community for everything,” said Dayana’s dad, German Corea.
Yet even in these fleeting moments of joy, Josseline can’t help but reflect on the piece that's missing. The puzzle of the heart: mourning one life while welcoming another at the same time.
Many vendors volunteered their expertise for the baby shower, including Music City Entertainment, Yaya’s Cupcake Factory, MosaicOaks Centre, and Barcater Nashville, which also sponsored the event.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
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