Site Raises $415K for Newlyweds Injured in Boston

Each lost a leg below the knee in the Boston bombings
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 19, 2013 2:18 PM CDT
Site Raises $415K for Injured Newlyweds
This undated photo provided from the Downes family Facebook page shows Jessica and Patrick Downes in Cambridge, Mass.   (AP Photo/Downes family Facebook page)

The Boston Globe today highlights the plight of two people injured in the marathon bombings—and the way their friends, family, and total strangers have come together to help them. The pair are newlyweds Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky Downes, and each lost their left leg below the knee as they watched the race near the finish line. Since then, a page dedicated to them at GiveForward.com has raised more than $415,000 (and counting) for their medical expenses.

The attacks "shook our faith in humanity" says a joint statement issued by their families. "All this support restores it." A separate Facebook page devoted to them features self-posted videos from friends and others offering encouragement. Patrick is a Boston College graduate and Jessica is a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital. (More Boston Marathon bombing stories.)

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