Boston Marathon bombing victim, Adrianne Haslet, lost her foot as a result of the attacks that left three people dead and more than 260 people injured.
But Haslet, a 32-year-old professional ballroom dancer, says that she plans to dance once again and is determined to run the Boston marathon next year.
"I absolutely want to dance again and I also want to run the marathon next year," she said.
"I will crawl across the finish line, literally crawl, if it means I finish it."
Haslet was just four feet away from where the second explosion occurred near the finish line at the Boston Marathon on Apr. 15, knocking her off her feet.
And when Haslet looked down at the horrific injuries she sustained from the explosions, she thought that she was going to die.
"I remember thinking. 'That's so gross,' and being terrified that this is the moment I was going to die," the Arthur Murray Dance Studio employee said.
Someone dragged Haslet to a staircase before she received medical attention from first responders on the scene.
Haslet recalls that a number was written on her forehead in the triage area.
"I just prayed that I had a number that was high enough to get help," she said.
"I just kept screaming out, 'I'm a ballroom dancer! Just save my foot.'"
Haslet underwent two amputation procedures where doctors removed her left foot during the first surgery and then amputated more of her leg-under the knee--during a second procedure.
The determined ballroom dancer woke up inside Boston Medical Center the next day, needing to be reminded that she lost part of her leg.
"I told my mom 'My foot feels like it's asleep.' And she said, 'Adrianne, you don't have a foot anymore.'"
Haslet hopes to receive a prosthetic device within the next couple of months and says that she is determined to live her life without fear.
"If we're afraid, the enemy wins," she said.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
