Photo Special9/11 Widows: Five Years Later
PEOPLE revisits the new moms who lost their husbands on the day of the attacks
More from PEOPLE
RETIK
Now
Several months after her loss, Retik, now 38, helped found Beyond the 11th, a charity that has raised more than $325,000 to help 500 Afghan widows and their 2,500 kids. In another unforeseen turn of events, the Needham, Mass., mom is now happily engaged to Donald Ger, 39, a business consultant she met online. "Nobody wants to be the victim," Retik says. "Once I felt strong enough to help someone else, that's what got me through."
