LAFAYETTE, La. — For Lafayette resident Jessica Dugar, the pain of losing her son, Nicholas, to gun violence three years ago has fueled a mission to honor his memory and help others heal. Dugar is producing a documentary titled “Unforgotten,” focusing on the lives and legacies of local victims rather than the tragedies that claimed them.
“My son will not die in vain, and he is not forgotten… and these children, these loved ones, they will not be forgotten,” Dugar said.
“As a mom, you don't want anyone to forget your baby, so the whole point is let's not focus on the bad — people have taken away enough from us,” she added.
Her project began with the stories of ten victims and has since grown to include nearly 40 families, each sharing memories of those they've lost. Dugar hopes “Unforgotten” will serve both as a tribute and an educational tool.
“Through this, hopefully, I could take it into the school systems and allow these children to see what you do, who was affected after,” she said.
Nicholas leaves behind a daughter, siblings, and parents, all still struggling to adapt to life without him. His 29th birthday would have been this past weekend. When asked what she misses most about her son, Jessica answered, “My son's smile. I will tell that to everyone... his smile will light up a room.”
Though the process of creating “Unforgotten” has been emotionally heavy, Dugar said it is bringing healing — one tribute at a time. “I would like to think that he would be proud, and he would tell me, ‘Come on, mama, keep on going.’”
“Unforgotten” is still in production and is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Dugar hopes to host a free screening for the families who participated and is seeking sponsors to help make the event possible.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
