BOSTON, Mass. -- Rebekah DiMartino took the stand this week, looked directly at the man authorities say detonated a bomb that ripped her body apart and told her story.
After DiMartino left the courtroom she did something else. DiMartino took to Facebook where she posted an open letter telling the accused bomber "you saved my life."
DiMartino’s leg was destroyed by shrapnel and debris in April 2013. Since that time, she has undergone 16 surgeries and once believed she would never walk again.
On Wednesday, she walked into court and faced Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to tell her story. In her open letter, this is how she described the experience:
In the letter, DiMartino describes Tsarnaev as a coward and a little boy who wouldn’t look her in the eyes:
DiMartino also acknowledges Tsarnaev did take a part of her:
DiMartino signed her letter, “Someone you shouldn’t have messed with” and #bostonstrong.