Daughter Of Fallen Officer Offers Message Of Hope To Garrett Hull's Children
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - The death of Fort Worth officer Garrett Hull, who was fatally shot by a robbery suspect on Friday, brings back painful memories for a family who lost a husband and father in 2005.
KayLeigh Nava was just a little girl when her officer father was killed. She has a message for Officer Hull's daughters who are hurting from the loss.
Nava and her mother paused Sunday in front of a name carved in granite and written in their hearts -- Henry Nava Jr.
"I was very much a daddy's girl. Daddy's girl at heart. He was my hero. He was my everything," said KayLeigh.
In 2005, Officer Nava was shot and killed while serving a warrant. KayLeigh was nine years old at the time.
Officer Hull's death filled her with a familiar pain.
"It brought me back to when I was younger," said KayLeigh.
Hull left behind a wife and two daughters. KayLeigh offered advice to them.
"Just remember the good times. Remember the happy times. Write them down, keep them in your heart," said KayLeigh.
Twelve years have flown by since Officer Nava's death. His little girl is now a TCU graduate with dreams of becoming a teacher.
"My teachers really became a rock for me at that point. School really became a safe haven," said KayLeigh.
Pictures still frame memories that shine bright in Kayleigh's life.
"He loved his job, and he loved what he did... But he also loved his family, and a lot of times he would show up in uniform," said KayLeigh.
Fellow officers stepped in for daddy-daughter dances and taught her to drive. Thinking of the missed milestones hurts the most.
"He wasn't there when I went through middle school. I did cheerleading and soccer. He wasn't there for my high school graduation," said KayLeigh.
Her heart is filled with unspoken words for a father she'll cherish forever.
"I would love to tell him goodbye. I would love to thank him for the years that I had with him... what he did for me. That I loved him," she said.
Funeral arrangements are still being made for Officer Hull. His name will eventually be placed on the same memorial wall as KayLeigh's father.