Mum who survived Boston bombing has leg amputated after 18 months of trying to save it

Left: Rebekah's final farewell to her left leg. Right: With her partner, Pete, and son, Noah, who were both at the finish line. Credit: Facebook / Rebekah DiMartino

A mother who survived the Boston Marathon bombing has had her left leg amputated after more than 18 months of 17 operations trying to save it.

Rebekah DiMartino, 27, has been in constant pain since the explosions ripped through her lower leg and hopes her decision will mean an end to the discomfort.

'Hasta La Vista, lefty,' Rebekah wrote before her surgery. Credit: Facebook / Rebekah DiMartino

But she said the hardest person to convince that amputation was the right decision was her young son, Noah.

Rebekah herself believes that losing what remains of her left leg below her knee will be a positive move.

"Even though my leg is being chopped off and I won't be able to walk for a while, it's still a step forward to me," she said.

"The fact that I was given a second chance at life that day is something that I will never again take for granted," she told NBC News on Saturday ahead of the surgery.

"If I have to lose my leg in that process, so be it, because I'm still here."

Pete DiMartino, who was at the finish line with Rebekah when the bombs went off, proposed in October last year. Credit: Facebook / Rebekah DiMartino

Her husband, Pete, has since told the US news network that the surgery was a success.

Doctors say Rebekah could be taking her first steps with a new prosthetic limb within three months.

If all goes well, Rebekah is even aiming to take part in next year's Boston Marathon.