Associated Files
Title
WBUR Oral History Project: Marc Fucarile
Contributor
Fucarile, Marc (Interviewee)
Guberman, Jayne (Interviewer)
Girdharry, Kristi (Recordist)
McDonough, Ryan (Contributor)
Guberman, Jayne (Interviewer)
Girdharry, Kristi (Recordist)
McDonough, Ryan (Contributor)
Language
English
Date created
March 11, 2014
Type of resource
Sound recording
Genre
Interviews
Oral histories (document genres)
Oral histories (document genres)
Format
Sound Recording
Digital origin
born digital
Abstract/Description
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.
Notes
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.
Source note
The WBUR Oral History Project. Marc Fucarile (Oral History), Jayne
Guberman (Oral Historian), Kristi Girdharry (Recorder), Ryan McDonough (Sound Editing and
Processing)
Related item
Our Marathon: The Boston Bombing Digital Archive
Subjects and keywords
Boston Marathon Bombing, Boston, Mass., 2013
Permanent URL
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