Towson Bombing Survivor Says 'Without a Doubt' She's Stronger

Towson’s very own Erika Brannock, who survived the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, was featured this week on CNN, in a story about the friendship she has formed with a fellow survivor.

Brannock, 31, and Rebeka Gregory, 28, of Texas, have kept in touch since a bomb exploded near the finish line at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013.

• Towson Bombing Survivor Returns to Boston One Year Later

They relayed how they were in the same ambulance on the way to the hospital and have helped one another with support as they got back on their feet. Ultimately, Brannock and Gregory each had to have one leg amputated.

Last September Brannock went to visit Gregory in Texas, where they got pedicures and bought canvas shoes; they painted phrases on them like “Lifelong Friends” and “Trust the Process,” then switched the left shoe so each would have one the other made, Brannock told CNN.

The steps they have taken since the bombing have gained significant media attention.

Brannock took some of her first steps on The View, where her Towson preschool students appeared remotely to tell her of their appreciation for her, while get-well cards they made decorated the studio.

Gregory recently made headlines when she wrote a letter to the man on trial for the bombing, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, after she testified against him in court, telling him she realized: “I was no longer afraid anymore.”

After Tsarnaev was found guilty on 30 charges this week, a jury is now deciding whether to apply the penalty.

• ‘Sucks for You Bro’: Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor’s Letter to Suspect

Both Gregory and Brannock told CNN they have become stronger through the experience.

“There’s parts about me that I never realized that I had,” Brannock told CNN, noting that ”without a doubt” she’s stronger than before. According to CNN, Brannock is now living on her own, driving and recently got a kitten.

Brannock wrote on her website that she is also concentrating on getting her master’s degree, which she hopes to finish this semester.

• Boston Marathon Bombing Victim Erika Brannock Returns Home
• Phase Two of Boston Marathon Bombing Trial Begins
• Vigil Set for Towson Teacher, Victim of Boston Bombings

Want more news? Get the Towson Patch daily newsletter.