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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

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.

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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