1 Year Later, Newlywed Boston Bombing Survivor Struggles to Find Closure

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By Bianca Consunji2014-04-15 07:18:34 -0400

It's been one year since bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, and survivors are still coping with the aftershock.

"The nightmares alone are really difficult," said Rebekah Gregory-DiMartino, a Boston Marathon bombing survivor. "I wake in extreme panic... I'm sweating, I'm screaming."

She added, "I think we have all this mentality that we have to remain Boston Strong, and most times we feel pretty Boston Strong. But there are days when I don't feel strong at all, and I'm scared to death."

SEE ALSO: She Survived the Boston Bombing, But Can She Bear the 17th Surgery?

Rebekah was recently married to Pete DiMartino, who was with her when the bombs exploded on April 15 last year, killing three people and injuring 264 others, most of whom were bystanders. She has been through 16 major surgeries and is expecting to amputate her leg within the next few months.

Mashable visited the couple in their home in Katy, Texas to learn how their lives were affected by the Boston bombings. Watch their full story in the documentary above.

"I feel sorry for the bomber... He made a very serious mistake that day," said Rebekah's mother, Tina Gregory.

"One day, I was searching for something online and this thing popped up, that he talked to his mother. What he said to her was that he was fine, and that he was eating chicken and rice," Gregory said. "I just wanted to go through that computer and just choke him and say, 'Chicken and rice, really? Bread and water, that's what you need.'"

Topics: Boston, boston bombings, Boston Marathon, documentary, U.S., US & World

Image: Mashable Bianca Consunji