MGH nurse who treated bombing victims to run marathon for first time

BOSTON — For Massachusetts General Hospital nurse Kim Cameron, April 15, 2013 will forever mark a before and after in her life.

Cameron was working in the medical tent at the Boston Marathon finish line and was just yards away when the bombs went off.

"All of our radios went haywire. Everything went static. Started hearing all the people screaming," said Cameron. "I just remember standing with everybody putting tourniquets in our arms, stuffing gauze in our pockets, just ready to go, do anything we could."

She worked through most of that night, but the weeks after were some of the hardest of her life.

"I tried to come back to work and I had a hard time," said Cameron.

She took some time off and was back at work weeks later. She made it a goal to return to the medical tent the following year, and was there in 2014 and 2015.

Now, five years later, she's running the marathon for the very first time.

"I had a chat with my husband, my family. I was like, if I don't do this now, I'm never gonna do it," said Cameron.

Cameron has been training since December and will be running with the Mass. General Emergency Response Team. She says training hasn't been the easiest, mostly because of the weather and her overnight work schedule.

"It's cold. You dress in layers and just prep for the worst," said Cameron.

But keeping her going through it all is the drive to raise money and give back to her MGH family, and close the chapter in her life that started that day five years ago.

"I definitely think it's coming full circle. It's going to be a very emotional day on so many levels, but I'm so excited for it," said Cameron.

So far, she's raised about $7,500 for the MGH Emergency Response Team.

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