Breaking Boston star Caitlin Norden’s brothers both lost a leg in Boston Marathon bombings

As we mentioned last week, A&E and executive producer Mark Wahlberg are teaming up once again for a new series that promises to be more than your typical all-female catfightfest reality show. Titled Breaking Boston and premiering March 13 at 10/9c, the show will document the inspiring stories of young blue-collar women from Boston struggling to overcome various hardships and find a way out of “the cycle of their peers in a town where education, employment and opportunities are hard to come by.”

One of the inspirational stories to be featured on the series is that of 25-year-old Caitlin Norden, whose life was forever altered by the Boston Marathon bombings in April of 2013.

Two of Caitlin’s brothers, J.P. and Paul Norden, were in attendance near the finish line to watch their friend, Somerville firefighter Mike Jefferson, finish the race when the second explosion went off. After the first explosion, J.P. and Paul shielded Jefferson’s mother, daughter and aunt, and as a result they both were severely injured when the second bomb went off.

As Paul was being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance he called his mother, Liz Norden, “Mom, I’m hurt real bad and I can’t find J.P.,” he said.

“I was in shock,” Liz Norden told ABC News just a couple of days after the harrowing event. “The ambulance driver told me he was in critical condition and we had to get to the hospital right away. All he kept asking about is his brother. And we couldn’t find him. I didn’t know if I lost both my boys.”

J.P. was eventually located, having arrived at a different hospital with just one pint of blood left in his body. Both brothers underwent surgeries to address burns and embedded shrapnel that included nails and ball bearings, but both would wind up losing portions of their right leg — Paul above the knee and J.P. below.

Here is a video of the first time the brothers were able to see each other again after the explosion as featured on ABC News, followed by a local news clip of J.P. taking his first steps on a new prosthetic leg:

A month after the bombing, the Norden family and friends of Paul and J.P. organized a walk where they would retrace the entire course of the Boston Marathon to honor the brothers. “In an effort to demonstrate our love, solidarity and encourage healing within our family, we intend to walk the twenty-six miles three-hundred and eighty-five yards to honor and pay tribute to the boys and as a bonus attempt to raise monies for the Norden Brothers Benefit Fund,” the Norden family said in a statement. “It is our mission to respectfully seek $26 donations asking for a $1 a mile pledge from as many generous people as possible.”

“As bad as it is, they’re here still,” Caitlin Norden said of the event. “We can still tell them we love them.”

 
“We wanted to do some thing to help with the healing, that could pay tribute and raise some funds to help the boys long-term,” said the brothers’ uncle, Peter Brown. “What I worry about is, six months from now, a year from now, what these guys are going to have to do to get better, and process what they’ve endured.”

Caitlin added, “I feel like for what they’ve been through, we can handle a few blisters to get through this, so, just having them in our mind will get us through.”

And they did get through! And J.P. and Paul were there waiting at the finish line. “I couldn’t wait to see that finish line,” Caitlin said, “and when I saw both my brothers there to meet us I lost it!”

In addition to the marathon walk, the Norden family have also set up the Norden Brothers – Boston Marathon Survivors Facebook page as well as the JP & Paul Norden Bros. Benefit Fund at gofundme.com.

^ Caitlin Norden with brothers J.P., Paul and Jonathan and mom Liz

The administrators of the Facebook page do a fantastic job of keeping fans aware of the brothers’ progress, including this announcement from last week about Paul’s upcoming surgery to deal with pain in his hand:

Paul has an appointment at Brigham & Women’s Hospital today to have an ultra-sound on his right hand. He continues to deal with the shrapnel still lodge throughout his body but seems to be affected more in his hand movements causing pain and discomfort.

Surgery is imminent yet still unscheduled. As promised there are many wonderful things happening leading up to the annual date. We will be updating our page and website daily to keep you all informed. This is an exciting time and although entangled with obvious painful memories; we intend to move onward and remain focused to achieve another level of recovery.

As soon as we learn more from Paul’s appointment, we will provide the report. SBS……

Thank you all for being the best team in the world. As an old saying goes, “Leaders didn’t carry you here, they led you here.” We believe that this is so appropriate for our team. Strength + Determination + Commitment = An Inspired SBS Nation.

^ J.P. (right) and brother Paul at their home in July, 2013

The post is yet another reminder that the fight for these brothers (and their family members) is going to be a lifelong one. I’m sure it will be amazing to see their story unfold (through Caitlin Norden) on Breaking Boston Season 1.

If you want to know even more about the Norden brothers’ story, hop on over and pre-order their book Twice As Strong: 12 Seconds, 2 Brothers and the Marathon That Changed Their Lives (photo above), which is due to be released April 1, 2014 — just two weeks before the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings.

On a lighter note, while doing a little research on Caitlin Norden I ran across some old modeling photos. So what say we wrap things up with young Caitlin demonstrating her own feminine version of Norden Strong in a pink two-piece? 🙂

Breaking Boston premieres on A&E on Thursday, March 13 at 10/9c.