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Marathon bombing survivor donates extra bib to woman with epilepsy

BOSTON — For a pair of local women, hitting the Boston Marathon course has special meaning.

When the Boston Athletic Association gave Alissa Ward an extra bib, she passed it on to another runner who lives with epilepsy.

The two women now share a very special bond.

Eileen Ward was never sure she'd make it to the last mile of the Boston Marathon.

She has epilepsy and wasn't able to run for years, but now, thanks to Ward, she is running in the ultimate marathon.

FOX25's Stephanie Coueignoux met Alissa Ward and Eileen Warren last week at the starting line in Hopkinton.

Their bond was evident and clearly special. Alissa explained how 2013 changed her life forever.

She was running the Boston Marathon when the second bomb went off and she was injured in that explosion.

Alissa said since then, it's been a journey to recover physically, as well as emotionally. And now, she refuses to take any day for granted.

She says paying it forward is part of that.

"I remember that day when the bomb went off, thinking if I can just get out of here and survive this, I will change my life forever. And it has. It really truly has," bombing survivor Alissa Ward said.

So when then BAA gave Alissa a second bib for this year's marathon, she donated it to Eileen, who is now able to fulfill her dream of running the marathon.

Alissa ran the marathon last year, which was incredibly emotional. This year, she's dealing with injuries, but says even if she can't run, she'll be there on the sidelines to cheer Eileen on.