Marc Fucarile IS Boston Strong!

It's been an emotional week for survivors as the defense presents its case in the penalty phase of the Boston Marathon bombing trial. My friend Bill McCabe said it best when he said F*** him, we don't acknowledge him. Stay strong. Today is a day for prayer and recovery on Jennifer Regan Fucarile's Facebook post about the news reporting that the convicted bomber cried when a family member testified.

Jennifer's husband, Marc Fucarile underwent surgery at Walter Reed Hospital yesterday to revise his amputation site so that he will be able to be properly fitted for a prosthetic and to clear out bone fragments and repair his left ankle in an attempt to save his "good" leg from amputation.

Marc was one of the last two survivors to leave an acute care facility in 2013. He fought hard for his life and for every gain he made during his recovery from the acute phase of recovering from life threatening injuries. His love for his then fiancee and his son Gavin kept him alive as he was being transported to the hospital in a van usually used to transport prisoners because there were no amublances left for transport. His inner strength fueled by the love for Jen and Gavin got him through multiple surgeries and painful rehab.

They were married last year and have received an outpouring of love and support from the Stoneham Strong community, from a Re*Marc*Able Team of marathon and 5K runners and from Bill McCabe who ran 2,620.2 miles for Marc to raise money to pay for Marc's exorbitant medical bills and to support his family during this time of ongoing surgeries and rehabilitation.

Photos from Marathon Monday that capture the emotions of the day for Bill and Marc:



A Boston Globe article that chronicles Bill's journey for and with Marc.

And NECN had this wonderful interview:



Last night, Jen posted this photo of Marc just hours after his surgery with the caption, "Marcs surgery went well..... he was able to smile so we could show Gavin that daddy was ok. Thank you for all of your prayers and messages.
Love Always,
Jen



Please donate what you can via Bill McCabe's GoFundMe page by following this link.

Marc Fucarile IS Boston Strong and with our love, prayers and support, we can help ease the way for Marc to heal and recover and take the next steps on his journey.

Be blessed. Journey well. To all good things....

My latest book, "Journey Well" is now available on Amazon along with all of my inspirational books. 50% of book proceeds are donated to the Massachusetts Resiliency Center, a safe, welcoming space for survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing to heal and stay in touch with one another; a virtual hub for a widely dispersed community whose lives have been impacted by the tragic events of April 15th and the events that followed.

When terror struck the world's oldest and most beloved marathon on April 15, 2013, it was a defining moment in Mary McManus’ life and the lives of all those in Boston and around the world. It was her wake up call to return to the sport and community that have been medicine and a lifeline for her throughout her marathon of healing the late effects of paralytic polio and experiencing 9 years of domestic violence as a child and adolescent. Mary captures the essence of Boston Strong through her experience of the 2014 Boston Marathon and as she profiles the people who are Boston Stronger. Through her blog posts, poems and journal entries woven together with excerpts from her memoir, “Coming Home: A Memoir of Healing, Hope and Possibility,” you will experience, through one woman’s journey of transformation and healing, that no matter what happens to us, we can all learn to journey well.

Fundraising Friday: Meet Bill McCabe and the Ironwill Challenge

"To run a marathon is nothing compared to what these guys are going through to recover." - Bill McCabe, 61 years old, Stoneham Strong

Although Bill McCabe wasn't physically injured on 4/15/13, he felt the emotional impact of the events of that day. He was stopped on Boylston Street and his family was in harm's way. They were miraculously uninjured although they were only 100 feet away from the 2nd blast.

On 5/19/13, he ran the Boston Marathon course to finish the race:



On April 21st, 2014, Bill ran the Boston Marathon and embarked on a journey of 2,620 miles to raise money for Marc Fucarile, a buddy of his from Stoneham who sustained life threatening injuries in the blast. The Iron Will Challenge is to run 26.2 miles for each of the 100 days that Marc was in the hospital. Marc endures severe pain each and every day and is recovering from head trauma, leg amputation and shrapnel in his legs and heart. As Bill shares on his Ironwill Challenge website:

"Marc is a warrior and his entire family are seasoned soldiers who reinforce his march forward. The road to recovery is a steep hill that will be achieved one step at a time. God has a reason for Marc Fucarile to be alive. He is living proof that one act of terror breeds one thousand acts of kindness."

Marc in indeed a warrior with an iron will. He finished the 2014 BAA 5K:



and the 2015 Disney Half Marathon:


After completing the 2014 Boston Marathon, Bill went on to run the Earth Rock Marathon in North Andover, Mass six days later. He then traveled to Beijing for the Beijing Marathon on May 17th. He took on the TARC 100 miler on June 7th. He has been steadily approaching his goal of 2,620 miles for Marc and will achieve his goal when he crosses the finish line of the 2015 Boston Marathon in a little over two months.

He is running a marathon on every continent and in March travels to Antarctica.

Bill is a man on a mission to raise at least $26,260 for Marc's ongoing medical bills and to honor his tenacity.

Please generously donate what you can to support Marc in his recovery. You can donate via GoFundMe or by check to Marc Fucarile Fund C/O Stoneham Federal Credit Union 40 Pine Street Stoneham Ma. 02180

To learn more about the Ironwill Challenge, Bill, Marc and for media coverage visit the Ironwill Challenge website.

"To Give Anything Less Than Your Best Is To Sacrifice The Gift" ~Steve Prefontaine