WBUR Oral History Project: Brittany Loring and Hafsa LaBreche. Clip 1

Loring, Brittany (Interviewee)

LaBreche, Hafsa Lewis (Interviewee)
O'Brien, Joanna Shea (Interviewer)
McDonough, Ryan (Contributor)

English

April 26, 2014

Sound recording

Interviews
Oral histories (document genres)

Sound Recording

born digital

Countless lives were affected by the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and their aftermath. The WBUR Oral History Project collects stories from individuals whose lives were immediately and irrevocably changed by these events. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of WBUR, our team of oral historians, and the participation of these interview subjects, Our Marathon has tried to ensure that these stories are not forgotten. We believe that these stories matter, and that they demonstrate the ways historical events transform the lives of the people who lived through them. Oral historians Jayne K. Guberman, Ph.D., and Joanna Shea O'Brien conducted the interviews for this project. Oral History Project Manager Kristi Girdharry, Our Marathon Project Co-Director Jim McGrath, and Community Outreach Lead Joanne DeCaro recorded the interviews and provided research assistance and post-interview processing. McGrath and Our Marathon Audio Technician Ryan McDonough provided sound editing and processing for all of the interviews and clips. The opinions and statements expressed in interviews and related content featured in the WBUR Oral History Project do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Our Marathon, WBUR, Northeastern University, or any employees or volunteers affiliated with these institutions and projects. Our Marathon and The WBUR Oral History project make no assertions about the veracity of statements made by participants in this project. Brittany Loring has a joint JD and MBA from Boston College, and currently works in international tax law. Hafsa Lewis Labreche graduated from Lasell College in 2008 and is a Marketing Operations and Events Specialist at Maxwell Health in Boston, MA. On Monday April 15, 2013, these two women did not know each other, but their lives would intersect and be profoundly changed. Both Brittany and Hafsa were in Boston to cheer on friends running the Boston Marathon. Brittany was near the finish line when she was hit by the blast of the first bomb, which seriously injured her head, hand and legs. Brittany knew instantly it was a bomb and realized she had to get away from the site. Separated from her friend in the chaos, she began walking in search of help, not knowing the extent of her injuries. She turned a corner and three first responders began to help her. At the same time, Hafsa was also with a friend near the finish line during the blasts. Hafsa and her friend, both uninjured but desperately trying to get in touch with their partners, moved away from the finish line. Hafsa spotted Brittany and noticed her leg wound, so she helped guide Brittany to a wall to sit down. Hafsa helped staunch the blood from Brittany's bleeding hand and leg, and spoke to her to calm her down. Hafsa describes her EMT training that helped her in the moment. A Boston Athletic Association Volunteer, Alex (who later became friends with Brittany), came over with a wheelchair to bring Brittany to an ambulance. Brittany talks about that confusing and surreal experience, while Hafsa describes Alex wheeling her away as if in slow motion. At the time, Hafsa didn't know Brittany's last name and knew only that Brittany was 28, when in fact Brittany turned 29 on that Marathon Monday. Hafsa and Brittany describe the aftermath of their experiences and reflect on how that Monday changed their lives. In 2013, Brittany founded the Brittany Loring Trauma Fund to help support families and individuals affected by traumatic events through financial support to allow survivors to focus on their physical and emotional recovery. Hafsa and Brittany became close friends, along with Brittany's other first responders. Hafsa is a Board Member of Brittany's non profit and also began distance running in the aftermath, competing in the Boston Marathon and other races to raise funds for Brittany's non profit. In this clip, Brittany describes what happened to her on the day of the bombing.

The opinions and statements expressed in interviews and related content featured in the WBUR Oral History Project do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Our Marathon, WBUR, Northeastern University, or any employees or volunteers affiliated with these institutions and projects. Our Marathon and The WBUR Oral History project make no assertions about the veracity of statements made by participants in this project.

The WBUR Oral History Project. Brittany Loring and Hafsa Lewis LaBreche (Oral History), Joanna Shea O'Brien (Oral Historian and Recording), Ryan McDonough (Sound Editing and Processing)

Our Marathon The Boston Bombing Digital Archive

Boston Marathon Bombing, Boston, Mass., 2013

Northeastern University Library

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