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Courtesy of Facebook. Baylee Holbrook
Family members, friends, school employees and church officials are keeping a Palatka Junior-Senior High School student who was struck by lightning earlier this week in their thoughts.
Baylee Holbrook, 16, died at 9:32 a.m. Thursday, according to a Facebook post by Trinity Baptist Church in Palatka.
“Baylee Faith Holbrook, you are my best friend. Our 16 years together, you have made me better. You’ve made me a better man. A better father,” Baylee Holbrook’s father, Matthew Holbrook, wrote Thursday night on Facebook. “You’ve made me a better soldier for Jesus. People say we raised you, but I feel you raised everyone you’ve ever been in touch with.”
Community members held multiple vigils and prayer gatherings his week to honor Baylee Holbrook. Floods of people attended vigils Wednesday and Thursday night to pray for her and her family. Trinity Baptist Church will hold its regular Sunday service 9:45 a.m. in the Palatka High gymnasium, 302 Mellon Road, Pastor Willie McKinnon III confirmed Friday. The church asked attendees to wear green or camouflage in honor of Baylee.
“She will be talked about,” McKinnon said.
The high school junior had been hunting with her father Tuesday evening when lightning struck a tree, which fell on the pair, according to a Putnam County Sheriff’s Office report.
Holbrook and her father lost consciousness, but her father woke up and began CPR on his daughter, the report states. Emergency rescue officials took Holbrook to HCA Florida Putnam Hospital, where she was stabilized before being moved to UF Health in Gainesville, the sheriff's office stated. She later passed away at the hospital, but not without hundreds of people gathering in the halls to pray for her this week, McKinnon said. Baylee’s parents continued to stay at the hospital Friday to see how she could continue to help others even after her passing because their daughter is an organ donor, he added.
While Matthew Holbrook couldn’t find any more words to share about Baylee on Friday, he said Bible passage John 13:7 keeps speaking to him.
“‘Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”’
Baylee not only impacted her family and Trinity Baptist Church, where she played a significant role in expanding the youth group, but she also left behind her Palatka High peers. Diana Drew, student services director for the Putnam County School District, said 10 grief counselors visited the Palatka school Thursday to comfort students who needed it in light of Baylee’s death.
Counselors also stayed on campus Friday, she added. Laura France, the district’s assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said she knows students received a lot of peer support and grieved together if they did not visit a counselor. Drew expects counselors to also be on the Palatka campus Monday, she said.
Baylee’s death also impacted the school’s teachers.
“We had several teachers that had to take breaks yesterday, and we just offered them the support of sending somebody to their classroom or covering their duty to let them step away as needed and speak to people and support each other as well,” Drew said.
She said Baylee’s death has been tough, but the school has also received donations from the community, such as food, water and flowers.
As of Friday evening, no memorial services had yet been planned for Baylee, according to McKinnon. As the community continued to share stories this week about Baylee’s impact, her father thanked Baylee for not being selfish and for giving back to the community. Matthew Holbrook said he would continue Baylee’s work.
“Handing you to your Heavenly Father today is something I thought I’d never do but something you’ve been preparing me to do all along,” Matthew Holbrook wrote Thursday on Facebook. “I have peace knowing (you’re) with HIM, and you are able to change so many people's lives.”