Boston Marathon bombing survivor Heather Abbott to share her story
Boston Marathon bombing survivor Heather Abbott, a Newport resident who lost part of her left leg as a result of injuries she suffered in the April 2013 terrorist attack, will share her personal story during a visit to Salve Regina this week.
Abbott’s presentation will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9 in the Bazarsky Lecture Hall. Free and open to the public, her appearance is sponsored by the Campus Activities Board’s spotlight committee.
Attendees are encouraged to wear Boston, Newport or Salve Regina attire to show their support for Abbott.
On the day of the bombing, Abbott and six of her friends attended a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park before going to the Forum restaurant. While waiting in line to enter the restaurant, which is located near the marathon’s finish line, the second of two bombs exploded near her. Badly injured, she was carried to safety by former New England Patriots lineman Matt Chatham and his wife, Erin, who were supporting a fundraiser at the Forum that day for the Joe Andruzzi Foundation.
As a result of injuries to her left foot, Abbott had her left leg amputated below the knee, joining 15 others who underwent amputations related to the bombing.
A Rhode Island native, Abbott grew up in Lincoln and graduated from Lincoln High School. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Stonehill College, an MBA from Providence College and a certificate in human resources management from Roger Williams University. She is certified in human resources management by the Human Resources Certification Institute.
Abbott is currently employed as manager of human resource compliance and equal opportunity at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. She is responsible for the division’s affirmative action plans, Department of Labor audits and discrimination claims for approximately 14,000 employees across the U.S.
