Ryan McMahon's friends and family have started an onlin fund to raise money to aid in her long recovery.
After two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon, Ryan C. McMahon said she remembers descending through the air and landing hard on her back and right hand on the concrete below the bleachers where she had been sitting near the finish line.
When she fell from the VIP stands, McMahon, 33, who grew up in Longmeadow, suffered a fractured back, two broken arms and a concussion. She said it could have been a lot worse.
"I am so lucky," she said in an interview. "It was like someone was watching out for me. As I was falling, I thought, 'Oh, my God. What is going on?' "
McMahon's struggle to recuperate in the weeks ahead encapsulates the ordeals faced by many of the estimated 280 people injured during the marathon tragedy. Three people were killed and about 15 others lost limbs that were ripped off by the explosions or amputated at hospitals.
Her parents, John P. McMahon and Donna B. McMahon of Longmeadow, and friends have started an online fund to raise money for the extensive rehabilitation and therapy she will need.
Despite her injuries, McMahon said she ran and was eventually helped into a cab that transported her to the emergency room at Boston Medical Center. She said she remains in anguish over the sight of other patients who suffered bloody wounds that in comparison make her own injuries seem less important.
Ryan McMahon "That was really hard to watch .. I hope all those people are OK," she said.
During the race, McMahon and a couple of friends were sitting a few rows from the top of the stands, located on the south side of Boylston Street. McMahon, marketing and communications manager for the Boston mayor's office of arts, tourism and special events, said she was enjoying a day off on the state holiday and was inspired by the runners. She said she only planned to stay an hour or two.
When the first bomb exploded across the street, then another about 10 seconds later, the crowd panicked and fled the stands. No one was sure if another bomb would explode and the blasts were hard to comprehend.
As she worked her way down, she bent and held the bleachers, but lost her grip when the stands shook and rattled under the weight of the fleeing crowd.
"We were all freaked out that there could be a blast right there. My initial reaction was, 'We have to get out of here.' "
McMahon, who is recovering at her grandmother's home in Newton, said she is overwhelmed by an "unbelievable outpouring" of cards, letters, flowers, donations and e-mails that is receiving from people in the wake of the bombings.
A 1998 graduate of Longmeadow High School who received a bachelor's degree at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 2003 and a master's degree at Boston University, she said she is hearing from old friends from all three schools.
"I cannot believe how much love and support I've received," she said. "I'm in awe."
She said she can't walk without a brace on her back and that she will likely need the brace for the next 10 weeks. She has a brace on her left wrist, which she said is feeling better, and added she will probably wear a cast for up to 10 weeks on a more serious break on her right hand, which required surgery.
She said she is also working with a therapist for mental-health counseling. She said she is experiencing a mix of emotions and is worried about the future. She saw an occupational therapist on Monday who was impressed that she could move her fingers.
"I'm still not sure how things will come out. I've never broken a bone in my body. I've never had anything like this."
McMahon has lived in Boston for nine years. She got to know just about every corner of the city when she was personal photographer for Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino for four years before becoming a marketing and communications manager for the past three years.
She is passionate about the arts and culture and said she won't be held back out of fear of crowds. She said she is looking forward to attending special events and festivals in the city. She has already visited the makeshift memorial for marathon victims at Copley Square in Boston.
"I'm going to go to everything," she said. "I don't want to be stopped by any of this. I know I am injured but I don't want to be afraid ... I love Boston. This is my city."