Waxman Recognizes Local Boston Bombing Survivor

Hollywood Riviera resident John Odom, who sustained life-threatening injuries during the Boston Marathon bombings in April, was honored Friday in Washington D.C. with an entry in the Congressional Record by Rep. Henry Waxman.

"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary courage and resilience of Mr. John Odom, a victim of the Boston Marathon bombings who has spent the last 100 days recovering from his life-threatening injuries," Waxman said, according to the record.

Waxman, who represents Redondo Beach in the U.S. House of Representatives, noted that Odom was at the marathon to watching his daughter Nicole, and he was standing near the finish line when the first explosion occurred.

"Shrapnel from the explosion severed two of Mr. Odom's arteries and his sciatic nerve," Waxman said. "His son-in-law, Matt Reis, was able to staunch the blood loss using his belt as a tourniquet and Mr. Odom's wife Karen applied pressure to the wound until help arrived."

Odom spent 5 1/2 weeks at the Boston Medical Center, undergoing nearly a dozen surgeries, before he was transferred to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where he is now undergoing outpatient therapy. According to Waxman, Odom hopes to return to his home in the Hollywood Riviera—an area of Torrance where properties have Redondo Beach addresses.

"We have all heard about the extraordinary acts of bravery and heroism of the victims of the Boston bombings," Waxman concluded. "Mr. Odom has had a long hard struggle since April 15, but he has persevered and is getting stronger as each day passes.

"I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring him today and I hope you will keep him and his family in your thoughts as he continues to heal."

• Full remarks: Recognizing Mr. John Odom [Congressional Record] 

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