Jeff Bauman, who lost both his legs in the Boston Marathon bombing last year, has announced that he is engaged to Erin Hurley, the girlfriend whom he cheered on as she ran the race on that fateful afternoon. Not only that - the couple are also expecting their first child.
Less than a year after sustaining the life-changing injuries, he has made an astonishing recovery with the aid of prosthetics, telling the Associated Press that doctors nicknamed him 'Wolverine' for his rapid healing.
He is now looking forward to the birth of his first child. In an interview with the Associated Press he revealed that the baby is due July 14. "My mom loves it. My dad's going crazy...," he said. "I just want to be a good dad."
On April 15 last year, Bauman, 28, was standing beside suspected bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev as he detonated the first of two bombs, and caught the full impact of the blast, which maimed his legs and left him partially deaf.
He was photographed as bystanders rushed him away in a borrowed wheelchair, jagged and bloody stumps of bone where his lower legs had been. The harrowing photo became the most enduring images of the attack, which killed six people and injured over 200 in April last year.
Despite his severe injuries, he was able to provide investigators with crucial information to identify the suspect from his hospital bed. Unable to speak, he wrote a note revealing that the bomber had been standing next to him, allowing the FBI to identify Tamerlan from CCTV footage.
Jeff has now written a memoir, entitled Stronger, to be published in April to mark the anniversary of the attack. The book recounts the traumatic events of April 15, 2013, and his journey to recovery, which he hopes will inspire others to overcome obstacles.