a photo shared by friends of the couple's fundraising website
In sickness and in health ...
Patrick and Jessica Downes said "I do" making that commitment last August.
The Cambridge couple's friends describe them as an unlikely match who have proven to have one of "the greatest loves."
Now, together, they must begin healing and the task of living life together with new challenges.
The couple was watching runners approach the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday when a bomb exploded. Each lost a leg below the knee.
Stories written in newspapers and news sites quote an email sent to friends and family saying that Patrick was in surgery Wednesday, and that Jessica was in danger of losing her other foot.
Patrick Downes, 30 is a Boston boy who attended Boston College and is a doctoral student in Psychology. Jessica Kensky Downes, 32, from Sacramento, California, attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and is a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital.
continued below the squiggle
After the bombing the two became separated and were sent to two different hospitals.
A page has been created at the donation site, GiveFoward.com, a place where friends and family can set up free online fundraising pages "to raise money directly for a loved one when they need it the most." The goal is $500,000, as of last night they've raised about $260,000.
On Patrick and Jessica's fundraising page, friends describe the couple:
Those who know Jess best say: Jess was brought into our lives by my law school friend in 2005. Although at first I was intimidated by her beauty and confidence, I quickly came to find her to be one of the funniest, most selfless, and introspective people I knew. It is these qualities that have made her an extraordinary nurse, first at Johns Hopkins, then at Mass General.
Of Patrick they say: Patrick is one of the most genuinely caring and generous people on earth. His love for his family, his friends, and his home city of Boston are infectious and memorable to all who encounter him.
And about the two of them: We all remember BC Pat--innocent, perpetually polite, the ultimate Boston boy who was nicknamed "Jesus" in high school for his goodness. When he first started dating Jess in 2006, this slightly older, sassy, half-Jewish California girl, it seemed like an unlikely match. But when I watched them wed in Boston this past August, I knew I was watching the union of one of the greatest loves I will encounter in my lifetime. She has the spirit of a lion, and combined with Patrick's good (the most good!) heart and interminable support for his wife, their beautiful, beautiful love and devotion of their wonderful families and loyal friends, I have no doubt in my mind that they will persevere through this horrific time and will soon enough live happy, normal, fulfilling lives.
Patrick and Jessica Downes
The couple shares a love for running, Patrick has run the Boston Marathon in the past. Like too many other victims, they will face a new marathon of sorts, but as Bostonians with the love and support of friends, family and community, we can hope they will run again.
You can help the couple face medical bills and all of the costs that come when facing catastrophic injuries and a long road to recovery by donating via their GivingForward.com page.
sources:
Jessica Kensky And Patrick Downes, Newlyweds Injured In Boston Explosion, Both Lose Legs
Recently Married Couple Seriously Hurt In Boston Marathon Bombings
Boston bombs: Patrick and Jessica Downes, the newlyweds who both lost a leg in the marathon attack
Recently married couple, both avid runners, among those wounded in Boston Marathon explosions
__________
More diary entries about the bombings in Boston. It's become therapy for this diariest:
I love that dirty water ... BOSTON YOU'RE MY HOME
Boston bombing: concerns among some in the Muslim community
Boston bombing: Along with the loss of their son, family suffers serious injuries
Third victim of Boston Marathon Bombing was Chinese National
Two brothers each lose a leg in Boston Marathon bombing
Boston Marathon bombing victims names and faces
Boston's innocence lost and several Sandy Hook families were there
________________