One month after the bomb attacks at the Boston Marathon, the communities and families of the victims commemorate those who were killed and search for healing with the loss.
Lingzi Lu — Chinese graduate student at Boston University
Peking University alumni established an emergency-assistance fund for Chinese students in the United States. The Boston Marathon bombing inspired the New York-based alumni to set up the fund.
“The intention of the fund is to help overseas Chinese students who are in an emergency,” said Chen Yusheng, president of Peking University Alumni Association of Greater New York.
The purpose of the fund is to aid Chinese students who may be in dangerous, emergency situations like Lingazi Lu was with the bombings at the Boston Marathon.
“At least we can let Chinese students know that if they’re in trouble, compatriots in China are here and willing to help,” Chen said.
Krystle Campbell — former UMass Boston student
Later this month, Krystle Campbell, a victim in the Boston Marathon bombing, will be awarded a posthumous degree from the University of Massachusetts Boston, school officials said Monday. Campbell studied sociology at UMass Boston from 2005-07, and will receive a bachelor of arts degree at the university’s undergraduate commencement ceremony May 31.
“Our community experienced a tremendous loss during the Boston Marathon attack,” said Chancellor J. Keith Motley in a statement. “Krystle was a wonderful part of our campus community and we wanted to recognize her contributions and impact through the awarding of this posthumous degree. She was a great student and friend to many, and she will be greatly missed.”
University of Massachusetts schools includes five campuses within the public university system, and other UMass campuses are commemorating victims in the bombing. UMass Lowell created a Boston Marathon Scholarship fund, and UMass Dartmouth and Worcester plan to plant trees to honor the victims. Both UMass Boston and Dartmouth have races to raise funds for the One Fund Boston, which goes toward those "most affected by the tragic events that occurred in Boston on April 15, 2013,” according to onefundboston.org.
Martin Richard — death, surgeries do not break family bond
Twenty-four days following the bombs at the Boston Marathon, the Richard family released an official update. Four of the five family members suffered injuries from the second bomb at the marathon, including Martin, 8, who died from the force of the blast. His father, Bill, mother, Denise, and sister Jane, 7, all suffered varying injuries from the explosion. Miraculously, Martin’s older brother Henry, 11, escaped injury.
Denise has not regained sight in her eye, but doctors are happy with her progress.
The statement says, “While no sight has returned to Denise’s injured eye, her doctors have been pleased with how she is healing from her surgeries.”
Bill, Martin’s father, took shrapnel in his legs from the bomb and also had some hearing loss. The statements says he is recovering from his wounds and burns, and they “remain hopeful there will be improvement over time from the hearing loss he suffered.”
Jane underwent her eleventh surgery on her amputated leg on May 8. The statement called the operation a milestone, “as doctors were finally able to close the wound created when the bomb took her left leg below the knee. Part of the procedure involved preparing Jane’s injured leg to eventually be fitted for a prosthesis.”
In the past month, the Richard family has learned to be positive to new developments, but with reserve.
“One of the things we have learned through all of this is to not get too high or too low. We take today’s development as positive news and look ahead with guarded optimism.”
The family thanked family members, friends and communities for the support it has received, and asked for continued patience and respect in the road ahead.
“We know how difficult it is to stand idle when something terrible happens, so we thank you for respecting our privacy and giving us space to not only recuperate and rest, but also to ensure that the one thing the attack does not break is our bond as a family. As hard as it is for us to do so, we ask for your continued patience as we work through something for which there is no road map, and there are no instructions.”
Abby Stevens is an intern for the Deseret News Faith and Family sections. She is a recent graduate of Brigham Young University–Idaho. Contact her at astevens@deseretdigital.com.