Then the first explosion hit.
Michael, a personal trainer, was temporarily blinded, suffered hearing damage and many shrapnel wounds. Nicole, a physical therapist, suffered severe shrapnel wounds, both legs had compound fractures and one Achilles tendon was severed. Her hair was blown off the back of her head. Erika, a pre-school teacher, lost all her hair and part of her leg. The bones in her other leg were splintered, sticking out from the skin, and her remaining ankle shattered. Her personal identification and cell phone were lost in the bombing. Erika was taken to a hospital as a Jane Doe. Nicole and Michael were transported to another hospital. In the ensuing pandemonium, Carole could not find Erika. Hours passed. She was calling every hospital, describing Erika as having long blonde hair, ignorant of the fact her daughter no longer had hair.
Michael's vision returned. Some of his hearing has also, but not all. He was released from the hospital forty-eight hours later and moved into Nicole's hospital room to help care for her. She's had five surgeries and was moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation facility yesterday. The family is elated with her progress. Erika hopes to be released from the hospital in June and will require a long time in rehabilitation. She's had nine surgeries. She talks to her students now via Skype and enjoys all their handmade get-well cards.
Mother-to-mother, my heart has long gone out to Carole and all the "what-if's" she's dealt with. Many days her daughters were operated on at the same time in two different hospitals across the city. Driving on unfamiliar highways from one to the other only added to her physical and emotional exhaustion. Yet Mothers do "whatever" for their children. We push ourselves to help and show love. Carole's sisters flew to Boston to help lessen her burden.
Everyone in the family appreciates the miracle of life. The miracles of healing and love. The miracle of prayers and the strenth of emotional support.
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My son, Mike, is on the right, wearing a green shirt. His hand is on my grandson's shoulder. To the left of Ryan is Erika in pink. Nicole is to the left of her, wearing a Ravens jersey. My daughter-in-law is next to her. MOTHERS TRULY ARE FABULOUS!HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! |
12 comments:
I'm in tears right now and don't know what to say. Prayers, love, anger, hope. It's all there. God bless.
Watching this family rally around their injured loved ones has been an inspiration. Three young adults who just wanted to cheer on their beloved Mom have had their lives forever altered. Hate destroys; Love heals.
What a touching story! I am sending positive thoughts their way as they work on recovery. How fabulous that they have each other to rely on!
Melissa
I can't even imagine what they went through that awful day and in the weeks that followed. None of them will ever be the same, but they'll all be stronger.
Even though I'm in tears, thanks for posting, Vonnie. I'm so happy to hear they're making progress.
Thank you so much for sharing this story. My heart goes out to the family, and for all they've suffered. Thank goodness for faith and the healing power of love.
Melissa, you are so right. Family is very important, especially in times of trouble.
Thanks Alison. It was a horrible day for so many.
We're pleased with their progress, too, Jannine. Now comes the long stretch of physical therapy and the awful medical bills.
Love is such a beautiful thing, isn't it, Patricia? Think how empty our lives would be without it.
Thank you for sharing this family's story. When the media stops reporting, we often tend to forget that the victims of violence are still dealing with what happened. Sending love and prayers for their continued healing.
Thank you, Lucy. That's why I included a picture that included Nicole and Erika in happier times a couple months before the bombing. So many were hurt. We don't want to forget many, many are still suffering.
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