Basketball player wounded in Brussels attack reunites with daughters
About a week after the Brussels terror attacks, CBS News cameras were at a hospital when family members surprised one victim, Sebastien Bellin -- a former college basketball pro who was badly injured in the March airport bombings.
His family is a constant source of comfort as he recovers. At the center of his universe are his daughters, Cecilia and Vanessa. When we first met Sebastien Bellin two days after the attacks, he told us it was his two daughters that gave him the strength to survive.
"I'm thinking, 'I got to make it, I got to make it... I got to see my daughters again,'" he said. "I got to see my girls."
When his wife Sara visited him a month ago, they stayed home so they wouldn't miss school. But 41 days later, he finally got his wish, when his daughters made the trek from the family's home in Michigan to Brussels to see their father. Bellin, his wife Sara and their two kids were finally together again, reports Vladimir Duthiers of CBS News' digital network, CBSN.
"I didn't want them to grow up without a dad," Bellin said. "You know, everything worked out. Everything worked out for the best. I'm keeping my legs, I'm alive and my two little girls just walked into the room. So everything is going to be alright."
Seven-year-old Cecilia and four-year-old Vanessa quickly made themselves at home, climbing on their dad and coloring his cast.
"Girls come here! I haven't had enough hugs," Bellin told them.
The girls had Skyped with their father from home in Michigan, but Sunday marked the first time the girls saw him in person.
"I think kids need to touch, to see the actual cast, to touch it. You know, they see that their dad is getting better," Bellin said.
In the month since the bombs left Bellin broken and bleeding on the airport floor, he's undergone five surgeries and his recovery is progressing well. But reflecting on what happened is still difficult.
"Life, it's just on threads," Bellin said, trying to hold back emotions. "You need a lot of luck in these situations. When you get out of something like this alive, you feel pretty confident. You feel pretty confident you can overcome anything. If you can beat this, you can beat anything."
Bellin is still unable to walk or even stand up. He has one more scheduled surgery for May 12th to repair his broken tibia.
The family will decide whether he should stay in Belgium until he fully recovers, or come home.