Boston Marathon explosion : Sydney Corcoran limbs shredded by shrapnel & Her mother lost both her legs
An 18-year-old high school student who was seen in an iconic image being aided by a stranger at the Boston Marathon blast had her limbs shredded by shrapnel and her mother lost both her legs.
Sydney Corcoran was severely injured by debris in Monday's tragedy and her mother, Celeste Corcoran, needed to have both her legs amputated below the knee.
Sydney, whose femoral artery was ruptured, awoke from surgery to ask relatives to locate the men who saved her life.
'Find Matt,' she said, according to her aunt, Carmen Acabbo. 'We would all like to thank him,' Acabbo said.
It was another horrifying incident for the family as Sydney cheated death in 2011 when she survived a car accident which left her with a fractured skull.
'I thought we were done with traumatic events,' said Sydney's older brother, Tyler.
Sydney, a Lowell High School who is set to attend community college this fall, suffered deep arterial injuries, according to Tyler.
'Her legs were hit pretty bad,' the brother said.
The picture of the man in a red t-shirt was so touching that it sparked a false rumor on Twitter that he was proposing to his dying girlfriend.
A picture telling the tragic, but incorrect, story was retweeted 1,600 times and received 448,000 likes on Facebook. It spread around the internet before being debunked.
The attack, which left three dead and 183 injured, occurred as two bombs were detonated just seconds apart near the finish line.
'My father said everyone seemed in a daze. He looked down and saw my mom and her eyes were open.
'Once he realized she was alive, he noticed both her legs hanging on by skin. He asked a guy for a belt,' Tyler said.
The family was at the race to watch Accabo, Celeste's sister, compete.
Tyler, a college student, was supposed to attend the event but cancelled at the last minute because he had to meet with a study group.
'I was supposed to be there," said Tyler, fighting back tears.
'I didn't even think this whole thing was real until my phone started ringing like crazy later in the afternoon.'
Kevin, a delivery truck driver, received minor injuries but is having a difficult time coming to terms with the wounds suffered by his wife and daughter.
'My brother is just heartbroken, just devastated,' his brother, Tim Corcoran, told the Lowell Sun.
Celeste works as a hairdresser in Boston. Sydney's and Tyler's great uncle Paul Corcoran said Celeste has always been 'such an active person,' and that 'it’s going to seriously impact her career.'
'It’s just been a devastating experience,' he said. 'I don’t know how we’re going to cope with this.'
A website to raise funds for the injured mother and daughter has been created, with the goal of raising $300,000 to aid in their recovery.
By Wednesday morning, it was already more than halfway to its goal.
The website, organized by relative Alyssa Carter, included updates on their conditions.
Carter said they were headed into additional surgery Wednesday afternoon to remove further debris and make additional repairs.
'The nurses were able to get them in the same room and their beds are pushed together so they can hold hands,' Carter, Tyler and Sidney's second cousin, said.
Carter told MailOnline that both are in good spirits despite their circumstances.
'Celeste is a firecracker. She's just upset she didn't see her sister cross the finish line,' Carter said.
'Celeste is the glue of the family.'
Sydney has been more reserved since Monday but 'has cracked a few smiles. They're hanging in there. We have a large family,' Carter said.
When asked about Sydney already overcoming her 2011 accident, Carter said she feels horribly for her cousin.
'She's just a kid. It's depressing to think of Sydney's struggles.'
Carter said the fund would help cover expenses in light of Celeste not being able to immediately return to work as a hairdresser as well as do modifications on their home to accommodate their injuries.
'So much will be needed.'
Paul Corcoran said that he had been in contact with the family via Facebook and saw the picture of Sydney lying on the street all over the internet on Monday but didn't immediately realize it was her.
It wasn't until he looked at the front page of the New York Times on Tuesday that he saw it was Sydney.
'I've seen the picture online with all the articles and with the smaller ones I couldn't quite tell,' he told the Los Angeles Times in a phone interview. 'But you're looking at the front page of the New York Times. I mean, that's her.'
Sydney Corcoran was severely injured by debris in Monday's tragedy and her mother, Celeste Corcoran, needed to have both her legs amputated below the knee.
Sydney, whose femoral artery was ruptured, awoke from surgery to ask relatives to locate the men who saved her life.
'Find Matt,' she said, according to her aunt, Carmen Acabbo. 'We would all like to thank him,' Acabbo said.
It was another horrifying incident for the family as Sydney cheated death in 2011 when she survived a car accident which left her with a fractured skull.
'I thought we were done with traumatic events,' said Sydney's older brother, Tyler.
Sydney, a Lowell High School who is set to attend community college this fall, suffered deep arterial injuries, according to Tyler.
'Her legs were hit pretty bad,' the brother said.
The picture of the man in a red t-shirt was so touching that it sparked a false rumor on Twitter that he was proposing to his dying girlfriend.
A picture telling the tragic, but incorrect, story was retweeted 1,600 times and received 448,000 likes on Facebook. It spread around the internet before being debunked.
The attack, which left three dead and 183 injured, occurred as two bombs were detonated just seconds apart near the finish line.
'My father said everyone seemed in a daze. He looked down and saw my mom and her eyes were open.
'Once he realized she was alive, he noticed both her legs hanging on by skin. He asked a guy for a belt,' Tyler said.
The family was at the race to watch Accabo, Celeste's sister, compete.
Tyler, a college student, was supposed to attend the event but cancelled at the last minute because he had to meet with a study group.
'I was supposed to be there," said Tyler, fighting back tears.
'I didn't even think this whole thing was real until my phone started ringing like crazy later in the afternoon.'
Kevin, a delivery truck driver, received minor injuries but is having a difficult time coming to terms with the wounds suffered by his wife and daughter.
'My brother is just heartbroken, just devastated,' his brother, Tim Corcoran, told the Lowell Sun.
Celeste works as a hairdresser in Boston. Sydney's and Tyler's great uncle Paul Corcoran said Celeste has always been 'such an active person,' and that 'it’s going to seriously impact her career.'
'It’s just been a devastating experience,' he said. 'I don’t know how we’re going to cope with this.'
A website to raise funds for the injured mother and daughter has been created, with the goal of raising $300,000 to aid in their recovery.
By Wednesday morning, it was already more than halfway to its goal.
The website, organized by relative Alyssa Carter, included updates on their conditions.
Carter said they were headed into additional surgery Wednesday afternoon to remove further debris and make additional repairs.
'The nurses were able to get them in the same room and their beds are pushed together so they can hold hands,' Carter, Tyler and Sidney's second cousin, said.
Carter told MailOnline that both are in good spirits despite their circumstances.
'Celeste is a firecracker. She's just upset she didn't see her sister cross the finish line,' Carter said.
'Celeste is the glue of the family.'
Sydney has been more reserved since Monday but 'has cracked a few smiles. They're hanging in there. We have a large family,' Carter said.
When asked about Sydney already overcoming her 2011 accident, Carter said she feels horribly for her cousin.
'She's just a kid. It's depressing to think of Sydney's struggles.'
Carter said the fund would help cover expenses in light of Celeste not being able to immediately return to work as a hairdresser as well as do modifications on their home to accommodate their injuries.
'So much will be needed.'
Paul Corcoran said that he had been in contact with the family via Facebook and saw the picture of Sydney lying on the street all over the internet on Monday but didn't immediately realize it was her.
It wasn't until he looked at the front page of the New York Times on Tuesday that he saw it was Sydney.
'I've seen the picture online with all the articles and with the smaller ones I couldn't quite tell,' he told the Los Angeles Times in a phone interview. 'But you're looking at the front page of the New York Times. I mean, that's her.'
Source : DailyMail
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