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Family Of Marathon Bombing Survivor Killed In Crash: 'Victoria's Work Continues'

BOSTON (CBS) -- The grieving parents of a 23-year-old Boston Marathon bombing survivor killed in a car crash in Dubai released a statement remembering their daughter and asking the public to help continue the charitable work that was a large part of her life.

"Throughout her life, charity and caring for others is what motivated Victoria," wrote Jill and Jim McGrath. "Her compassion first revealed itself when she was working with underprivileged children and children with disabilities."

Victoria McGrath, a Northeastern University student, was killed in a car accident over the weekend, along with her roommate and classmate, Priscilla Perez Torres. Both were set to graduate this year.

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Victoria McGrath and Priscilla Perez Torres. (Facebook photo)

The McGraths said Victoria was recently spending time helping homecoming veterans who were dealing with trauma. They are urging people to donate to Four Block Veteran Career Development, a non-profit organization that helps military veterans transition back into civilian life, in Victoria's honor.

"In a society that is abundant in support for troops but often lacks true understanding, Victoria's voice was one that contained rare empathy, which comforted and motivated many people," the statement read. "This rare empathy was earned through her experience of recovering from the physical and non-physical injuries sustained in the Boston Marathon bombings."

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Victoria McGrath, center, with first responders at Boston Strong: An Evening Of Support And Celebration at TD Garden on May 30, 2013. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images)

The McGraths said the donations would go directly to career readiness programs for veterans in Boston.

Victoria's parents also thanked family, friends, the Northeastern University community, and the City of Boston "for the continued support and caring shown to the Boston Strong survivors."

"There are any number of ways that one can respond to tragedy, and the majority of the options can be destructive," wrote the McGraths. "What Victoria taught all of us was how, against the odds, to respond with determination, humility, and not a single note of bitterness."

"Let us gather our grief and understand what it truly is – a transmutation of our love for Victoria – and let that understanding motivate us to be constructive as we eventually emerge from this tragedy."

"Victoria's work continues," the McGraths wrote.

The family has requested privacy in their time of grief.

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