What to Know
- On April 15, 2013, Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes were among those injured in the Boston Marathon bombings.
- The couple recently wrote a children's book, "Rescue and Jessica," about Kensky and her service dog.
- Tuesday, they brought Rescue to Massachusetts General Hospital to visit with some of the young patients.
A couple who survived the Boston Marathon bombings brought their service dog to visit children at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Jessica Kensky, a nurse at the hospital, and her husband, Patrick Downes, were both badly hurt in the bombings. Downes lost his left leg and Kensky eventually had both her legs amputated.
Now, Kensky has a service dog, Rescue. The couple recently wrote a book, "Rescue and Jessica." Tuesday, they went to MGH's pediatric unit to read to the kids.
Kensky and Downes showed a room full of children some of Rescue's tricks -- he can open doors, fetch Kensky's phone and even say his prayers.
Eleven-year-old Jennifer Perez smiled as she listened to the reading. She lost her left leg to cancer a month ago; she is in the process of being fitted for a prosthetic. Perez said meeting the survivors and Rescue was an inspiration.
"Hopefully with my [new] leg, I can go everywhere. Right now, I can't go anywhere," she said.
U.S. & World
Downes says it's a joy to visit the kids.
"We get to distract them for an hour, to give them something else to talk about other than chemo treatment or the next time the doctor's going to visit."
