Linda 'Michellita' Rogers recorded herself doing her hair in her Dallas home on the morning of February 23 last year before the fatal explosion. Photo / Supplied
Linda 'Michellita' Rogers recorded herself doing her hair in her Dallas home on the morning of February 23 last year before the fatal explosion. Photo / Supplied
WARNING: Disturbing content:
It is the tragic final moments before a young life is unexpectedly ended.
Heartbreaking videos have been released of a 12-year-old girl from Texas happily filming herself getting ready for a cheerleader competition moments before her house exploded.
Michellita's family were sleeping before the explosion occurred. Photo / Supplied
The tragic video of Linda 'Michellita' Rogers was releasedby her family on the one-year anniversary of her death.
The video shows Michellita smiling and happy in the moments before a huge gas explosion tore apart her family's home and claimed her life.
The 12-year-old had just sprayed her hair and was arranging her ponytail in preparation for a cheerleading event later that day when the video goes to black.
Michellita's family said they shared the videos of their daughter and her story to encourage officials to upgrade or replace gas pipes and for harsher penalties for violations.
Her family were sleeping when the explosion occurred and all miraculously survived their injuries - all except for Michellita.
They found her phone among the debris and released her final and tragic videos.
Michellita's mother, Maria Rogers, was asleep when the explosion occurred and woke to find herself injured in her bedroom. Her husband Jose Fiscal had a bloodied wound on his face.
Fiscal carried a badly injured Michellita out of the house and handed her over to a first responder. Rogers told Dallas News that she kissed her daughter on the head and said: "Fight like a warrior".
The girl was pronounced dead soon after she arrived at the hospital.
Rogers said when she was able to visit Michellita's body, her daughter's ponytail and cheerleading uniform were still intact and that "she looked beautiful".
Michellita's cheerleading team performing later that day in her honour. Photo / Supplied
Michellita's family said they were sharing her videos and story to ensure that negligence by gas companies wouldn't cause other explosions. Photo / Supplied
Michellita's Falcons Elite Cheer team went on to compete that night and dedicated it to her memory.
Michellita's phone among the debris. Photo / Supplied
The explosion occurred due to a gas leak from Atmos Energy - the US's largest natural gas distributor. Two other houses in the neighbourhood exploded in the same week that Michellita died.
