Christmas usually brings families together for joy, warmth, and celebration. But for the Hunt family, this holiday carried a painful reminder of a loved one lost too soon. Tavia Hunt, wife of the Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, paused amid the festivities to honor a young girl whose absence still aches deeply.

“Sending love to @annelindseyhunt & Davin,” Tavia wrote on her Instagram story. “Please keep praying for those families who are still grieving lost loved ones.” 

Tavia was reaching out to her distant relatives, Davin and Anne Lindsey Hunt, whose nine-year-old daughter, Janie Hunt, had passed away. Janie was one of the tragic casualties during the severe flooding in Texas back in July. She was at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, when the Guadalupe River swelled dangerously, claiming the lives of 27 girls, according to The Washington Post.

When the floods struck, Tavia shared her grief openly on Instagram.

“Our hearts are broken by the devastation from the floods in Wimberley and the tragic loss of so many lives – including a precious little Hunt cousin, along with several friends’ little girls,” Tavia wrote.

In the aftermath, grieving relatives turned their pain into action. Families who lost daughters pushed hard for stronger safety rules around the river areas. Their efforts led to The Heavens 27 Camp Safety Act, which passed unanimously and was signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on September 5.

This step forward offered a small light amid the darkness. Yet even with that progress, the Hunt family feels Janie’s absence keenly this Christmas. And they are not alone in their sorrow.

Tavia Hunt remembers another life lost to the floods

Among those 27 girls was nine-year-old Lainey Landry, whose bright spirit lit up her family’s world. Tavia Hunt shared Lainey’s story on her Instagram Story, drawing attention to yet another young life taken too soon. 

This Christmas, Lainey’s parents, Natalie and Luke Landry, kept her memory alive in a tender way. They included her photo on their holiday card, along with a touching message: “There’s a brighter star in the Texas sky.”

“Daniel [Lainey’s brother] told me the other night, ‘You know what I miss most about Lainey?’” said Natalie. “‘How she smelled in the morning.’… She’d sit on the couch with Daniel, and they would just snuggle up and watch a show and be silly. That’s when Luke brought up Christmas.”

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Stories like these bring back the simple joys Lainey shared with her brother Daniel. But for some families, the pain runs even deeper right now. There are still parents searching desperately for their missing girls, holding onto faint hopes amid the uncertainty. For the Landrys, though, eight precious letters that Lainey wrote before the flood stand as their ultimate “gift” this season.

No matter how we share these stories, the heart of them remains unbearably tragic. Losing a child in such a sudden disaster shatters lives in ways words can barely touch. The families continue to navigate their grief, finding strength in shared memories and mutual support.