Natalie Morales interviews Boston Marathon explosions survivors Celeste and Sydney Corcoran

In an NBC News exclusive, Natalie Morales’ interview with Celeste and Sydney Corcoran — the mother and daughter who survived the Boston Marathon explosions — will air this Friday, April 26, first on Today, and then on Rock Center With Brian Williams.

Sydney Corcoran‘s iconic image was seen around the world as a stranger in a red shirt came to her aid following the Boston Marathon explosions. Sydney Corcoran experienced near-fatal shrapnel wounds, including a torn femoral artery, while her mother, Celeste Corcoran, had both of her legs amputated below the knee.

Last Friday on Rock Center With Brian Williams, husband/father Kevin Corcoran and sister/aunt Carmen Acabbo spoke out. For the first time now, while recovering in the same hospital room, Celeste and Sydney Corcoran talk to Natalie Morales about that terrifying day and how the event has changed their lives forever.

Additionally, Matt Smith, who was in a now-famous photo — the man with the gray hair and plaid shirt who was by Sydney’s side — also speaks out.

Here are some excerpts from the interview with Celeste and Sydney Corcoran. The interview airs April 26 on Today at 7am ET and later that day on Rock Center With Brian Williams at 10pm ET/9c, both on NBC:

NATALIE MORALES:

Celeste, what about your memory of that very moment?

CELESTE CORCORAN (mother):

I just wanted to die. I was just like — I mean, I — you know what, actually? The thought was there ’cause I was in so much pain. And then I just remember thinking like, I can’t. I can’t. I don’t wanna leave my family, you know. There’s still too much to do.

###

NATALIE MORALES:

And Sydney, I know when you came out of surgery; you had to be very concerned about your parents at that point in time.

SYDNEY CORCORAN (daughter):

From the moment I got in the ambulance, I wanted to know where they were. I thought I was gonna wake up and have no one left.

###

CELESTE CORCORAN:

I certainly have times — I’ve been crying. There’s times when everything just kind of overwhelms you. But I just have to really– I know in my heart that I’m gonna be okay. And it’s you — your life changes all the time. And it takes different — you know, twists and turns and stuff. And you want it to be all good stuff. It’s never all good stuff. I really believe that if you just kinda persevere and believe in yourself, you really have to dig down deep inside and just be like, “I can — I can do this. It’s gonna be hard but I can do this.”

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

________________________

Photo: Celeste & Sydney Recovery Fund

1 Trackback / Pingback

  1. NBC Dateline special investigates Boston Marathon bombings

Comments are closed.