‘I felt pathetic but you made me feel strong: ‘On the anniversary of the Boston marathon bombings, survivor Jeff Bauman writes thank you letter to city

Jeff Bauman's picture was seen around the world on the day of the Boston marathon bombings - where three people were killed and almost 300 injured.

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by Ellie Hooper |
Published on

The image, that showed the 28-year-old competitor horrendously maimed and being rushed from the bomb site, showed that the marathon runner had lost both of his legs below the knee, and he was losing blood fast.

One year on, and Jeff Bauman has penned a touching letter to his city, thanking them for being there for him during the year that his life changed forever.

Jeff became the face of the disaster thanks to this image, which we have censored due to graphic content

'Thank you for kicking ass. Thank you for proving that nothing will ever stop us from being who we are,' he wrote.

'Thank you to everyone who wrote messages and sent gifts and prayed for me. You will never understand how much it meant. You inspired me every day.'

The 28-year-old said that at times he had felt 'pathetic,' like the time he was asked to throw out the first ball at a Red Sox baseball game, but that when he heard cheering 'I knew that I didn't have to prove anything. You were happy to have me there, just the way I was.'

Jeff signed off the moving piece with 'Thank you Boston. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for kicking ass. Thank you for proving that nothing will ever stop us from being who we are.'

Read the full letter here.

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