Oklahoma City Survivors Rebuild Their Lives

"Most people don't ever have to go through this, so they don't know what it's like to have to worry about almost dying," he said.

Chris' father, Thu Nguyen, remembers the first moment he saw his son after the bombing -- the 4-year-old lying in a hospital bed, his skin burned off, debris lodged in his body.

"I never forget that day," he said. "The feeling of a father, helpless."

Injuries a Constant Reminder

Lavern McCloud's daughter, Nekia, is 14 now. The girl with the sweet smile and gentle disposition doesn't say much. Nekia suffered severe brain trauma as a result of the blast. She is developmentally delayed and attends special-needs classes.

"She was walking and talking, you know, at 4 years old," McCloud said. "And after that [the bombing] happened she had to relearn everything all over -- how to walk, talk and everything."

P.J.'s wounds are also very much present. Though the 11-year-old doesn't recall that day, his injuries are still obvious -- the scar on his throat, his labored breathing and his quiet voice recall the tube he wore for nine years.

The tube was recently removed, allowing him to attend public school for the first time. But he says he will always wear his scars like a badge of honor.

For Christopher, it's his heart that bears the scars of the bombing.

"I looked at the chairs of three friends of ours who died at such a young age and it was unbearable, and we couldn't stop crying," he said.

Grateful for the Simple Things

All of the survivors say the experience taught them valuable lessons, especially how to have gratitude for the simple things.

McCloud says of her daughter: "Just to have her here. You know, that's a double blessing."

Christopher says he learned to never take life for granted, because it can be taken away so easily.

P.J., who was told that he would never talk or sing again and is now doing both, believes that, in many ways, the bombing changed his life for the better.

"My life is kind of different because of the bombing, so that means that since most people haven't been through what I've been through, that makes me think that I have something special to do in the future," he said.