A 65-year-old man photographed following the terror attack at the Boston Marathon in a wheel chair, his face covered in blood and screaming in agony as a medical worker cares for his wounded leg, may lose his sight and suffer brain damage as his wife remains on a respirator.
Eric Whalley was at the race with his wife, Ann, when the two bombs went off near the finish line.
Their son, Richard, saw the now iconic picture of his father posted on the internet and frantically tried to find out whether his parents were alive.
Horror: Eric Whalley's son Richard saw this picture on the internet and frantically searched for information on whether his parents were alive
Eric and Ann Whalley, both 65, have undergone a dozen surgeries since Monday. Eric may lose his sight and suffer permanent brain damage while Ann remains on a respirator
'There was a possibility my mom was dead,' Whalley, who lives in Cambridge, Mass., told ABC News.
'I knew she was older and pretty close to the blast.'
Whalley turned to Facebook for answers.
'This is my dad in the picture in this link: I have no idea where my mum is. They were both bombed. I'm trying to figure out what hospital they are at. Can you help?
'They look pretty severely injured and I'm worried my Mum is dead.'
His friends began making calls to hospitals in the area and soon found his parents, who were taken to different locations.
'It was amazing,' said Whalley.
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The Whalleys, who are hikers and like to walk around the city, have had nearly a dozen surgeries between them to remove multiple ball bearings and nails.
Eric Whalley was struck in the skull and eye and may lose his sight. There is also the chance he will suffer brain damage.
Ann Whalley has a badly mangled right foot.
His father had a blood clot on one side of his brain. He also had orthopedic surgery on his right leg. 'The feet are in especially bad shape,' said Whalley. 'Part of the right foot was blown off.'
His parents, who came from England to Colorado in 1990, eventually got U.S. citizenship.
This is the frantic Facebook message posted by Richard Whalley when he was unsure what had happened to his parents
Eric and Ann Whalley are originally from England. They are a very active couple and enjoy hikes and walks around their new home of Boston
This picture of Eric Whalley shows the dirt and debris that got caked into his hair
On Wednesday night, Whalley had a conversation with his father, who gained consciousness for the first time.
'He was just barely talking, but he was understanding what we said,' according to his son. 'I told him his photo was on the front page of the Daily Mail. He started laughing.'
Ann remains on a respirator with more damage to tissue than to bone.
'She is out of shock now,' he said.
'Most of the damage is to her foot. They had to do reconstruction and it's unclear whether or not she'll have mobility. She has to have another surgery.'
Richard Whalley and his friends have established a website to help pay for his parent's medical expenses
Soon after the bombings, Whalley's friends from his alma mater, MIT, created a website to help his parents with their medical expenses.
They both will require at least two more weeks of hospitalization and extensive rehabilitation.