Boston Bombing Survivor: A 'Miracle' To Be Here

As commemorations for the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings get underway, John Odom, 66, reflects on his own good fortune.

Odom, from Redondo Beach, Calif., was standing near the finish line last year to watch his daughter, Nicole Reis, finish the race.

When the bombs went off, a piece of metal completely severed his sciatic nerve. His heart stopped, and doctors weren't sure if he'd survive, much less walk again. He was taken to Boston Medical Center, where he was treated by Dr. Jeffrey Kalish.

Odom went back to the BMC Monday for a reunion with Kalish.

"It's a miracle that I'm here," Odom says, adding of Kalish, "I'm so thankful to this man right here. He's part of our family now of course. We adopted him."

Odom said he has no reservations about attending this year's Boston Marathon. He says he wants closure on what happened last year so he can move forward and focus on the positive.

With reporting by the WBUR Newsroom and the Associated Press.