Christina-Taylor Green was a 9/11 baby, and now a 9-foot, 11-inch angel statue made from World Trade Center steel will soon stand in an Oro Valley park to honor the youngest victim in the Tucson shooting spree.
Steel and other materials from the World Trade Center and two other 9/11 crash sites will be used to create the "Freedom's Angel of Steadfast Love" statue.
"That this angel would be made from the remnants of the 9/11 attacks makes this tribute especially touching," the Green family said in a statement. "Christina-Taylor wanted to be a symbol of hope for those touched by our nation's great tragedy on 9/11, the day she was born."
Christina-Taylor's angel is a version of others at the three 9/11 crash sites and other locations across the country.
"We specifically did this one for Christina," said Lei Hennessy-Owen, the Pennsylvania sculptor who creates the angel statues. "It's definitely a very unique and special piece."
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Hennessy-Owen proposed the idea of creating one of her angel statues to honor Christina-Taylor, who was the youngest victim of the Jan. 8 shootings.
"We were all so touched," she said.
The sculptor also knew The National 9/11 Flag had flown at Christina-Taylor's funeral.
"I also knew it couldn't stay. I wanted to make sure they had something to keep," she said of the angel.
Once the statue is fabricated and transported to Tucson from Pennsylvania, the angel will be installed at James D. Kriegh Park in Oro Valley.
Horizon Moving Systems, which has its corporate offices in Tucson, is picking up the statue and delivering it to the park.
Costs for the statue are going to be covered by the sculptor and other individuals.
The park holds special meaning to Christina-Taylor's family. The girl played baseball at the park with the Canyon del Oro Little League.
The statue is scheduled to be dedicated April 1 at the Little League's opening-day ceremonies.
"It means a lot to us to know that there will be an angel in the outfield watching over the CDO Little League," the Green family said in a statement.
Families who lost loved ones on 9/11 plan to attend the dedication.
The Green family went to the town of Oro Valley to request that the angel statue be placed in the park where Christina-Taylor played for the Pirates.
The Town Council approved the installation of the statue at its regular meeting Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the council also voted to name a baseball field at Kriegh Park "Green Field."
The angel statue will be just southeast of the field bearing Christina-Taylor's last name.
Green family friend, Leslie Shultz-Crist, spoke on behalf of the family at the council meeting.
The statue is a fitting tribute to Christina-Taylor and the others who lost their lives and were injured in the Tucson shootings, Shultz-Crist said.
"Much like the memorials at the Pentagon, the now well-known field in Pennsylvania and of course ground zero, our park would not only be a reminder of what was lost on Jan. 8 - that must not be forgotten - but a symbol of hope and healing for our community and the country as a whole," she said.
Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at arivera@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
