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Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor Writes Good-bye Letter to Leg

3 minute read
Actor Kevin Spacey (L) cheers on as 2013 Boston Marathon bombing survivor Rebekah Gregory DiMartino (2nd R) crosses the marathon finish line during a Tribute Run for survivors and first responders in Boston on April 19, 2014.
Actor Kevin Spacey (L) cheers on as 2013 Boston Marathon bombing survivor Rebekah Gregory DiMartino (2nd R) crosses the marathon finish line during a Tribute Run for survivors and first responders in Boston on April 19, 2014.Brian Snyder—Reuters
By Jack Linshi

A Boston Marathon bombing survivor penned an emotional farewell on Facebook to her leg, badly injured in the blast, before it was amputated Monday.

After over 15 surgeries that failed to restore function in her left leg, 27-year-old Rebekah Gregory announced Friday that her doctor would “finally cut off the one thing that is holding me back.” She shared a photo gallery captioned “Left leg’s last day,” alongside a light-hearted goodbye letter to the limb.

Hey it’s me.

I’m sure it won’t come as a shock to you when I say that we’ve grown apart. The love that we once had has dwindled, and this relationship has become a real burden on my life. We have been through a lot together. We have seen a lot of places, done a lot of things, and you have helped me through some of the toughest steps thus far. I promise to always treasure that. And I’m not saying this isn’t hard for me. It is. But as tough as it may be, I feel like our time together has come to an end. I need to feel everyday that by having a relationship with you, I am becoming a better person. And for a long while now, I haven’t felt like that. Instead, I feel like you are holding me back from really reaching my full potential. Now I get this is probably pretty tough to hear me say, but I have never lied to you and I don’t plan to start now. What I need is something you can’t give me anymore. And the empathy that you require, I can no longer handle. I love you. I really do. But I think I need to start on the next leg of my journey. So with that said, I have enclosed a gift certificate that I hope you will use. Go get yourself one last pedicure on me and enjoy it because tomorrow… I will be cutting you out of my life for good.

Wishing you the best wherever you end up,

Rebekah

Gregory’s 1.5-hour surgery went smoothly, and she didn’t take long to share photos of her recovery. “Do you ever wake up and think man I am so blessed??!! That is me this morning,” Gregory wrote optimistically in a caption of a photo showing only one leg.

Doctors at Gregory’s Houston-area hospital pointed to Gregory’s positive attitude as a key reason for her triumph over her ordeal.

“She has a tremendous amount of motivation not only to do well and get back to her old life, but also to take on a new more active lifestyle,” Dr. William McGarvey told KHOU-TV in Houston.

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