Torrance, Calif. businessman John Odom was set to celebrate his retirement three weeks from now. But after the Boston Marathon blasts, Odom is fighting for his life after shrapnel hit him in both legs and severed an artery.
In the days since Monday's explosion, Odom has undergone three surgeries and is scheduled for a fourth on Thursday. Odom's wife Karen Odom explained in an interview with CBS2 that the Southern California couple had made the trek to Boston to watch their daughter, Nicole Reis, run in the race. But before Reis could make it to the end, the first bomb went off -- and Odom was standing just 10 feet away.
“I tied some running pants around his legs to stop the bleeding," said Karen Odom to CBS2. "[My son-in-law] took over, he got a belt and used it as a tourniquet. (John) just kept saying, ‘My leg, my leg.’ He was losing so much blood.” Working together, the family was able to get John Odom to an ambulance and into the hospital. Now all they can do is wait.
“My husband said yesterday, ‘Your dad is on his own marathon path now. He’s at the starting gate," said Reis to CBS2. "We’re going to get him past that finish line.’” Reis is married to professional soccer player Matt Reis, a goalie for the team New England Revolution.
In an interview with the Associated Press Wednesday, Matt Reis described his father-in-law's condition as "progressing a little bit."
"But we're talking about footsteps here and not very big strides," Matt Reis admitted.
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