Boston Bombing Victim's Defiance One Year On

Heather Abbott calls herself a professional heel wearer. Her state of the art prosthetic leg has allowed her to stay that way.

She has returned to Boston's Spaulding Rehabilitation hospital where she was treated one year ago, in the aftermath of the marathon bombing that took her leg.

Spaulding only opened two weeks after the attack.

Doctors and therapists treated 32 survivors - 15 of those patients, including Heather, lost limbs. Meeting her for the first time you would never know her left leg is not real.

She said: “It was designed just like my real leg and it has veins. I didn't want to have to give anything up.

"I still feel that way - I hate to have to let go of anything and I haven't had to so far even if it isn't exactly the same as it used to be."

The silicone prosthetic was made in the UK. It matches her skin tone, has freckles and even allows for a pedicure.

Most importantly for Heather, she can wear heels with it.

Sam Conley was Heather's Occupational Therapist - they became close as she guided Heather through some of her toughest moments.

"One of my favourite memories was her getting ready for the press conference right before she went home and she put on this adorable pink dress and I was like: 'What are you going to wear for shoes?'"

"She said: 'I'm going to wear this pump.' And she pulled out her heels and I was like 'Oh my god! We have to practice'.

"I've never actually had anybody say they were going to leave here on heels so I was like alright let's do this!"

And they did - within four months Heather was strutting her stuff - back at work.

But what happened that day one year ago will never leave her.

On April 15, 2013, Heather was heading to a restaurant with friends after cheering on runners at the Boston Marathon finish line.

She heard one explosion quickly followed by another. Shrapnel struck her leg and panic and fear ensued.

"People were just in herds running towards the back exit - people were screaming. There was smoke everywhere, glass and blood - it was a pretty horrific scene."

Curiosity over the who and the why behind the bombing is only just dawning for Heather.

She said: "I had a general idea of what happened - I really didn’t know a lot of the details and I have sort of just learned them - as strange as that sounds - a year later."

The upcoming trial of the alleged bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will bring everything back into focus - what it will not change is Heather's refusal to let what happened defeat her.