Following is an interview with Susan Curtin. She and her husband were instrumental in the creation of the Pawsitively Strong fund at NEADS. The Westwood, Mass. residents had a very personal experience at the Boston marathon bombings which spurred their desire to make a difference in the lives of the victims.
You and your family were close to the finish line during the Boston Marathon Bombings. Thankfully, your family was ok. What was the experience like, and how did it affect you? |
Susan and Mike Curtin and their sons |
Marathon Monday is a tradition that I share with my friend Lorraine Feeney and my husband. Mike has run Boston twice for charity. We make a day of having lunch in the city and then going to the bleachers at the finish line to cheer on all the runners who are just one inspiring story after another. I consider it the most charitable day in Boston! Many are running to honor a family member or their favorite organization. This year was no different.
We had finished lunch and made our way to the finish line and had just connected with my husband Mike in the bleachers. We were there no more than four minutes and this HUGE explosion goes off almost directly across from our vantage point. It's still so surreal. My first thought was a suicide bomber. There was this strange sort of pause and feeling like we were in slow motion and then seconds later the second explosion. Mike and I locked eyes and had a whole conversation without speaking. It was wild. We knew we had to flee and it felt like the entire city was about to go under attack. We realized quickly how fortunate we were to get out so quickly and it wasn't until we arrived home that afternoon to our two boys that we really felt the impact of how close we were to the danger.
As the images and stories began to unfold in the media we were just overwhelmed at how evil and what a cowardly act had just ruined a tradition we cherished. Come to find out we know some of the injured through relationships with close friends. That was even more sobering. And, our friend Lorraine's four brothers are all Boston cops who ran into the scene as we were fleeing. The medical staff at the finish line and the Boston hospitals were incredible in saving so many lives. As the days went on we were hit with a range of emotions, also we were struck with a sense of pride and dignity for our great city of Boston.
But, then you think of all the injured and how the road ahead will be long and isolating for many. That's been our motivation. We wanted to make a meaningful difference for the injured that may have a longer lasting impact.
How did you come to hear about NEADS? We originally stumbled upon NEADS via the internet. Our son Jack, 11, was born with a congenital heart defect and was subsequently diagnosed with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome. He's undergone two open heart surgeries in his first three years of life and now attends a therapeutic day school. His path has not been an easy one. Many of his hurdles are similar to PTSD and having major social anxiety. By far the best decision we ever made for Jack was to get ourselves a family dog. Our golden retriever/spaniel mix, Max, has brought Jack and our entire family the most comfort and joy and unconditional love. He's really helped Jack access life more. We ended up with a second dog as well. Jack is an animal lover and we are always looking for volunteer opportunities for him and NEADS has been on our radar for some time.
What made you decide to donate to NEADS? After learning more about NEADS and the incredible work and life changing experiences this organization provides we felt what a great way to help the injured from the Boston Marathon tragedy. The bond and companionship the NEADS service dogs provide is just remarkable. Many don't realize that the best trained service dogs nationally come out of NEADS and their reach is deep to people that are deaf, others that are confined to wheelchairs, our injured veterans and to autistic children. We hope through this new fund the individuals most affected by the Boston Marathon tragedy have the opportunity to have a service dog in their life. Mike and I were really compelled knowing how much our dogs have brought joy and love in our moments of crisis as a family, that if there was a way to give back that same comfort we'd hopefully bring some peace to these families.
You were the inspiration for the creation of this Fund. What do you hope that it achieves? We just hope that this fund will be around for a long time as the injured move along in their recovery and piece together their future, that at no matter what the timing a service dog may be available to meet their needs, bring companionship, and help prevent the isolation that will come in their long recoveries. We so appreciate the opportunity we've been given to give back and admire the great work being done at NEADS. Spending a day at the NEADS training center we were reminded that there is more good in our world than bad.
Click here to support the Pawsitively Strong fund for victims of the Boston marathon bombings.