WBUR Oral History Project: Marc Fucarile

Fucarile, Marc (Interviewee)
Guberman, Jayne (Interviewer)
Girdharry, Kristi (Recordist)
McDonough, Ryan (Contributor)

English

March 11, 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. Marc Fucarile grew up in Stoneham, Massachusetts and continues to live close by in the town of Reading. In his oral history, Marc describes the band of lifelong buddies he developed while in high school, and the tightly knit connections with generations of family and friends that led to his meeting Jen Regan, his fiancée at the time of the 2013 Boston Marathon. Marc details how his dream of going to college on an athletic scholarship was derailed by a serious accident the summer after high school graduation, his subsequent involvement in the music industry during his twenties, and his satisfying work with Marshall Roofing Company in Peabody, Massachusetts. On the morning of Marathon Day 2013, Marc decided to join a group of his Stoneham buddies to cheer on a friend who was running. Standing in front of Forum Restaurant, they saw and heard the first bomb. While spectators scrambled to climb over the barricade, Marc ran right into the second bomb as it exploded. He was found lying awake between the mail box and a tree amidst debris and shrapnel. His right leg was amputated instantly, he was on fire and he was conscious but couldn't feel any pain. Firefighter Pat Foley and spectator and nurse Kayla Quinn, and two others, were among the first on the scene to help Marc, and he describes in vivid detail their efforts. With time running out and all the ambulances full, Boston Police Officer Jimmy Davis suggested transporting Marc and another seriously injured bombing survivor, Roseann Sdoia, in the back of a police van to the hospital, with the direction of Boston Police Officer Shana Cottone. As they loaded the Roseann and Marc into the van, Boston Firefighters Pat Foley and Michael Meteria tried to hold on to the makeshift tourniquets, stop the bleeding, stabilize the patients and keep them calm. Marc describes a harrowing five minute drive, fearing for his life as they rode in complete darkness and Roseann comforting him, telling him to think of his family and that he wasn't going to die. As they arrived at Mass General, Marc's fiance called his phone and firefighter Pat Foley answered, telling an incredulous Jen that Marc has been badly hurt and that she needed to go to Mass General. Marc describes the extent of his injuries, including the loss of his right leg above the knee, a broken spine, shattered bones in his left leg and foot, ruptured eardrums, severe burns and shrapnel wounds. He also discusses the outstanding care he received at Mass General, his days spent in the ICU and on the burn unit, as well as getting support from his friends and family. Marc discusses the challenges of his rehabilitation in the months following the bombing, and about the amazing physical and occupational therapy he received with Sam Conley and Dara Casparian at Spaulding. Marc reflects on the challenges and triumphs since the marathon bombings, the long road to recovery through follow up surgeries, physical therapy, learning to use a wheelchair and walk with a prosthetic and what he has learned about himself and others through this ordeal.

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. Marc Fucarile (Oral History), Jayne Guberman (Oral Historian), Kristi Girdharry (Recorder), Ryan McDonough (Sound Editing and Processing)

Our Marathon: The Boston Bombing Digital Archive

Boston Marathon Bombing, Boston, Mass., 2013

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