Mark Fucarile continues to forge ahead, more than 11 years after losing his right leg in a bombing. As a survivor of the Boston Marathon bombing, Fucarile reflects on his darkest moment and the long road to recovery that followed, he’s committed to his mission of brightening the lives of others facing similar challenges.
The Boston native now travels the US as a motivational speaker, sharing his story. His prosthetic right leg and wheelchair are reminders of the horrific events of 2013. But he says the support he received from friends and complete strangers was what saved him. The love shown to him by strangers inspired Fucarile to give his all to his life. MARC Network, He uses his platform to help those in the adaptation community find resources and raise awareness about the opportunities and possibilities available to them.
“I believe everything happens for a reason.” Fukarir “It gave me a platform, which is why I’m building the MARC network.marcnetwork.world“It’s a one-stop shop for all things mobility-disability and a place for people to share resources. Whatever mobility impairment or disability you or your loved one faces, you can engage with other people who are facing the same challenges and trying to provide resources. Resources are so hard to find, and this incredible group of nonprofits doesn’t have the funding to market to them, so people can’t easily find them.”
Not only has Fucarile become an advocate and spokesperson for the disability community, but he says life after the marathon has also brought him blessings he didn’t have before.
“I’ve never normally been a religious person, but now I can’t deny that I am because of the people that I have surrounding me and supporting me. And, you know, my incident led me to meet my now wife, Nicole Browder. She’s an incredible woman. She was born without arms or legs. If this hadn’t happened to me, I would never have met her.”
That moment changed his life forever.
April 15, 2013, started like any other day at the Boston Marathon. Boston was filled with excitement as the city celebrated Patriots Day. Mark Fucarile was one of the fans there to cheer on his high school friend, a military veteran. A few minutes into the race, the first bomb exploded. Then, 12 seconds later, a second bomb exploded right next to Fucarile, instantly blowing off his right leg.
When it was all over, five people had died that day (including two police officers); Fukarile was one of 264 injured. The bombers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, had planted a bomb in a pressure cooker, which detonated. Tamerlan was shot dead by police, and Dzhokhar was arrested, tried, found guilty of 30 charges, and sentenced to death.
“It’s a tough day,” he said. “There’s been a lot of very positive things, but also a lot of negative things. I’m trying to focus on the positives as much as possible.”
He spent 45 days at Boston Massachusetts General Hospital and another 55 days at Spaulding Rehab. I then spent the rest of 2013 and 2014 traveling around the US looking for doctors who could fix my right leg and maybe get more use out of my left leg in terms of getting a prosthetic. In 2015 he was admitted to Walter Reed Hospital where he had his fifth reconstructive surgery on his right leg and had his left leg prepared and fitted.
“I had a piece of scrap metal lodged in my heart, it had gone up into my vein, into my artery and it was lodged in the right atrium where I’m currently being monitored,” he said. “It was pretty bad, to say the least.”
Mark Fucarile
Mark Fucarile is an inspiration
Speaking of generosity, Fucarile mentioned Bill McCabe, the father of a high school classmate, who offered to run a marathon for each day Mark Fucarile spent in the hospital. At first, Fucarile thought it was a crazy idea, but after more than 100 marathons, McCabe’s act of kindness sparked Fucarile’s mindset of making the impossible possible.
Fucarile completed his first marathon using a handcycle and has since completed eight more marathons.
“[Before this] “I never thought I’d run a marathon,” he says, “but if my son could run 100, I could run one and show him he can do anything. I saw what a difference that made in my life. It taught me that anything is possible if you don’t give up.”
In addition to marathons and 5K races, the former high school football and baseball player now regularly monoskis with his wife, Nicole Browder, who was born without limbs. He also plays sled hockey and hopes to one day join a sled football league, time permitting.
Fucarile doesn’t consider himself far from an elite para-athlete, but he leads by example. By gliding along on the ski slopes and skating rinks, Fucarile shows others that there is a way to achieve anything, regardless of their limitations.
“I’ve met people who say they can’t run anymore because of their knees,” he says, “and I tell them you can still run a marathon. I’ve cycled eight times. A lot of them don’t even know it’s an option. That’s what we’re trying to do: raise awareness.”
The work is never done, says Mark Fucarile
He says his daily schedule is very simple: “I wake up, I work until I can’t work anymore, I work until I have to go to bed because no one can get up and work anymore.”
As he builds the MARC network, he travels the country talking about his experience, raising awareness and finding resources, and while he acknowledges that many are unaware of the challenges ahead, he hopes his advice to find a network of people facing similar situations will help them on this long journey.
“The advice I give people when I visit hospitals is to find a community,” says Mark Fucarile. “A lot of amputees don’t want to hang out with other disabled people. They don’t get it. They just try to be as normal as possible. The reality is, you’re wrong. You need a community to find people who empathize and who can give you tips to make your life better and easier. You need to find people who are facing the same challenges and who can empathize with what you’re going through, because you can help each other.”
One of the biggest challenges remains fundraising, and he’s had success raising funds by putting his money where his mouth is and, as he recently did on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show during Super Bowl week, putting his money where his mouth is. Because many insurance companies don’t fully cover assistive devices (high-quality, specialized wheelchairs and prosthetics can cost thousands of dollars), it’s often difficult for many who need them to find resources. He wants to change that.
“Being disabled is expensive,” he says, “and insurance covers little to nothing, so there’s been a lot of fundraising. I’ve been able to raise about a fund from people who’ve supported me – complete strangers, family, friends – and now we’re all trying to give back.”
Mark Fucarile has overcome many obstacles, but he came out of the 2013 Boston Marathon stronger and more confident than he was before. And if you ask him, there’s no challenge he can’t take on. He hopes that anyone facing a similar situation will believe in themselves just as he did.
““I’m a guy who believes that anyone can do anything,” he says. “If I want to go to the moon, I’m sure I can find a way to get there. It’s going to be hard, but with the right program and with the right people, I believe it can be done. It’s not going to be easy, but nothing good in life is easy.”
