Before the devastating flood swept through Camp Mystic, 9-year-old Janie Hunt held tightly to a beaded necklace her grandmother had given her — one that spelled her name in bright colors. It was that necklace, still around her neck, that helped rescue teams identify her after the flood claimed 27 lives.

Janie had only been at the Texas camp for five days, excited to be with her cousins and soak up summer adventures. But when torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to overflow, disaster struck. Cabins collapsed, and campers were trapped. Among the missing: Janie.

“She wore it every day,” said her grandmother, Margaret Hunt. “It made her feel brave.” That necklace, once a gift after a school play, became her final message — a small, defiant symbol of her life.

Janie was found near camp owner Dick Eastland, who died trying to protect the children. In her final days, she had been comforting others, helping homesick campers, and spreading joy.

“She was always the helper,” said Margaret. Janie loved art, music, and especially singing her favorite hymn, “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” which her cousins will sing at her funeral on July 15.

Her parents, Davin and Anne Lindsey Hunt, cherish the simple, joyful letters she sent home from camp: “I love my friends. I’m having a wonderful time.” Her obituary calls her “the heartbeat of our family — adventurous, kind, and full of joy.”

“She may have been small,” said Margaret, “but her spirit was larger than life.” And thanks to a few tiny beads, her story — and her love — will never be forgotten.