AYER — Brittany Loring of Ayer, daughter of Nashoba Valley Fitness Center owners Dan Loring and Pam Lambert-Loring, is hospitalized at Boston Medical Center for treatment of multiple wounds. Loring sustained injuries to her head, leg, and fingers in the bombing of the 2013 Boston Marathon Monday.
According to a Facebook posting from the woman’s aunt, MaryLou Lambert, Brittany Loring was “at the finish line with her best friend Liza waiting to cheer their friend Megan through. It was seconds after they blew kisses of congratulations to Megan that they were struck in the bombing.”
Brittany Loring was injured, as was her friend and fellow Boston College classmate, Liza Cherney.
Lambert said she saw Brittany on Monday night and she was in stable condition with a “fractured skull and a major open wound to her femur.”
Due for surgery Monday night, Lambert said Loring’s procedure was postponed until Tuesday morning along with a CT scan.
“She has shrapnel in various places of her body and lacerations,” wrote Lambert. “She is a strong young woman and remains positive, even after all of this trauma.”
“Many thanks to all of you from our family,” said Lambert. “Please keep the prayers coming. God Bless.”
Monday was Brittany Loring’s 29th birthday.
Reached on Tuesday, Philomena Loring, Brittany’s grandmother who lives on Rosewood Avenue, said that Brittany’s parents were bedside at the hospital. Brittany Longing is the eldest of the couple’s three daughters, who include Alyssa and Amanda Loring.
Brittany Loring is enrolled at Boston College where she is simultaneously seeking a degree in law and a master’s in business administration.
At 5 p.m. today, Boston College is holding a Mass of Healing and Hope to pray for all of the victims of the attack, including Loring and fellow B.C. graduate student Liza Cherney, who is studying for her M.B.A.
“The two spectators were hospitalized with injuries resulting from the explosions near the Marathon finish line,” according to a Boston College press release issued earlier today.
The Mass will be celebrated by University President William Leahy, S.J. A sacramental anointing for healing will follow the special mass.
Brittany is also a runner. According to online information, Loring finished 80th in the Boston College MBA 5K, which was run on April 6 in Chestnut Hill.
But, on Monday, Philomena Loring said Brittany and Brittany’s friend were on the sidelines, cheering on a third friend participating in this year’s 117th Boston Marathon.
“She was at the marathon, and now she’s in the hospital,” said Philomena Loring about her granddaughter. “She has a bad leg, cuts and bruises, and cuts to her hands and fingers. They’re working on her right now.” Philomena Loring said she hasn’t been able to visit with her granddaughter yet but has been advised by her son, Dan, on her status.
“We’ve had so many calls. Everybody’s just upset over it,” said Philomena Loring. “I put her on the prayer line at my church” at the Ayer Federated Church.
In addition to fielding calls, Philomena said she’s been riveted to the television accounts of the terrorist attack. “I watched it yesterday and last night. Then I tried to relax by doing some baking to keep my mind busy.”
“It was awful. She was running down the street. They put her in a wheelchair, got her into an ambulance and got her to the hospital,” said Loring. “Why would somebody do this? You know?”
At 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Boston Medical Center reported Brittany Loring in critical condition. On Wednesday, she was upgraded to “serious condition.”
Two bombs, exploding seconds apart near the finish line at about 2:50 p.m. on Monday, killed three people and wounded 176 others, as of Tuesday.
The race winners had earlier completed the race. At the time of the explosion, the race was nearly into its fifth hour. Some 25,000 runners competed in this year’s Boston Marathon, which was cancelled following the explosions.
The Associated Press is reporting that, according to one person allegedly close to the investigation, the bombs were fashioned out of pressure cookers packed with metal debris, nails and ball bearings to inflict maximum carnage.
The search for those responsible continues.
Anyone with information is being asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) and choose prompt #3. To email photos or other information, you can contact the FBI at Boston@ic.fbi.gov.
Follow Mary Arata at twitter.com/maryearata.
