Survivor Heather Abbott Recalls the Boston Bombing

Miami, FL -- (SBWire) -- 04/30/2013 --Question) Heather can you take us back to what happened and what you remember?

Answer) Sure, I was up with a bunch of my friends from the Newport area. We usually take the train on Patriot’s Day from Providence to Boston and watch the Redsox game and then go over to the bar called Forum. It has been a tradition for us. One of our friends works at Forum as a bartender and she happened to be working that day so we had made plans to go there and meet some other friends there. When we left the game a little bit early, some of us split up - a group of us got to the bar Forum a little earlier than - two of my girlfriends and me. When we got there, we were standing in line outside waiting to get in - the bouncer was checking people’s IDs and I was the last of the three of us in line.

As we were standing there a loud noise went off and I remember turning around and looking and seeing smoke and seeing people screaming and it immediately reminded me of 9-11, something I had seen on tv. It just all happened so quickly that when I turned around, the second blast had already happened and it blew a bunch of us into the bar. I suppose it hit me because I was the last one. I was on the ground. Everybody was running to the back of the bar to the exit. I felt like my foot was on fire. I knew I couldn’t stand up.

I didn’t know what to do, I was just screaming somebody please help me and I was thinking - who is going to help me? Everybody else is running for their lives. To my surprise, from what I am learning now - I am kinda just learning how I was rescued out of there. There were two women and two men involved in helping me get out of the bar and into an ambulance. The first woman, I believe, is from the Joe Andruzzi Foundation. She had initially seen me and helped me get - tried to help drag me and then a gentleman who I later learned is Matt Chatham helped me, took me up the stairs, actually carried me outside, he and his wife were tending to me as was another member of the Andruzzi Association. They wouldn’t leave my side until they knew I was safe in the ambulance along with the friends I had attended the game with that day. I talked with him briefly and I am actually supposed to meet him at some point - so I am really looking forward to that.

Then I was put in the ambulance with other individuals. You know I looked to my side and there were other people there in the ambulance as well. It was very scary. I didn’t know what was going to happen to me, if it was just my foot that was injured. I asked the EMT to call my mom. He called her. I only knew her home phone number, so luckily she happened to be home. I heard him tell her, to go to Brigham and Women’s.

That is pretty much all I remember about that evening.

Those are Heather's words recalling from her perspective what happened that day. Her tragic injuries will forever change her life. Yet, she has a life to live. However your perspective upon the situation that she had to bear, one thing is apparent. She did not anticipate needing emergency care that day. Who does? Fortunately, despite the shock of the whole event, she was able to remember her mother's phone number and give it to the EMT. Today, technological advances in care continue to improve outcomes for people's health. It is possible to prepare for and prevent some major health concerns simply by having a My Medic Info Identification with you when driving or traveling. A small cost for a potentially huge benefit. Learn more at mymedicinfo.com