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‘No hate’ says Utah woman recovering after terrorist attack that killed her husband

Posted at 7:14 PM, Apr 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-06 08:30:32-04

LONDON -- Melissa and Kurt Cochran of West Bountiful, Utah,  were celebrating their 25th anniversary in London when Kurt was killed and Melissa was injured in the terror attack at Westminster Bridge.

Two weeks after Kurt’s death, Melissa is still recovering in London. Wednesday she spoke about the loss of her husband.

“He was probably the best man I’ve ever met,” Cochran told the BBC. “He was sweet and kind and I’m extremely proud of him.”

Since the attack on March 22, the local community and the world at large have learned more about Kurt and the life he lived.

“He would probably hate all the publicity that's going on, he's a very private kind of person,” Cochran said. “Very generous, very sweet, and the love of my life.”

Melissa says she learned of her husband’s death after she came out of surgery for her own injuries.

“My parents walked out of the room, then came back in and both grabbed my hand and said that he didn't make it, which, you know, crushed me,” she said. “It has been difficult, obviously, but Kurt would have wanted me to keep going.”

Melissa is working to recover from her injuries, but she says she doesn't feel any ill-will toward the attacker.

“I just know that, unfortunately, he didn't have the qualities and the beautiful heart that my husband had,” she said. “So I actually kind of feel a little sorry for him. No hate.”

Doctors say Melissa is making progress on her recovery. This week she started standing and moving on her own.

Now the family is waiting for when they can bring Kurt’s body back home to Utah. A GoFundMe page set up for Melissa after the attack has raised more than $80,000.