One week ago, Adrianne Haslett lost her foot in the bombing attack at the Boston Marathon. Undaunted, she vows to dance again, and it's likely she will.
April 25, 2013

As the mom of a dancer, I know how much dancing means to them, which is why this story made me happy and sad all at the same time.

Adrianne Haslett lost her foot in last week's bombing. But she's undaunted, and she's also really angry.

ABC:

The blast had torn off the dancer’s left foot – a devastating loss for the ballroom dance instructor at Boston’s Arthur Murray Studios. The bombings killed three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and injured at least 200 people.

Haslet, who appeared on the cover of the Boston Herald this morning, said she had not lost her spirit.
“I absolutely want to dance again,” she said.

Dr. Linda Arslanian, a physical therapist at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said Haslett likely would dance again thanks to the advancement of prosthetic technology.

“If they were walking before they had their amputation, we can have them walk again,” she said. “Much depends on the level of their amputation and all of it depends on what their goals and objectives are.”

Her husband had just returned from Afghanistan, and was also seriously injured in the blast.

A healthy dose of anger is driving her resolve. Jezebel:

She still hasn't come to terms with it completely (no duh), and her honest and candid answers are downright inspiring:

“I’ve been better, but I’m doing OK.” When asked about the dark moments, she bellowed, “Hell, yeah, I’ve had plenty. I’ve thrown my walker across the room and haven’t used it yet. But I realized you have to be selfish about the things that matter the most. My husband. The job I love. Dancing is my life. Yeah, having my foot blown off, that really sucks. But I can’t wallow in woe is me.

"I can’t let some (expletive) come along and steal my whole life. So, I’ll dance again. And next year, though I’ve never been a runner, yes, I plan to run the marathon.”

Resounding applause. Now, if we can just keep the politicians from turning what looks to be an evil act of violence with no organized political motivation into a terrible terrorist plot, we might actually see good come from an evil act.

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