Boston marathon: 5 years on:

Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jessica Kensky tells Closer how she and her husband have moved on

“We lost limbs but we’re stronger than ever”

Five years ago, F newlyweds Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, 34, were blissfully happy and dreaming of starting a family. But on 15 April 2013, their lives were shattered, as they stood on the sidelines of the Boston Marathon. They’d run the race before, but that year they were spectators.

Ten minutes after they arrived, the first of two bombs made by Islamic extremist brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev exploded next to the couple – killing three people and leaving 264 others injured. Both sustained terrible injuries to their left legs, and Jessica suffered third degree burns from her shoulder blades to her knees.

Jessica, 37, says, “I didn’t feel pain, but when I tried to get up, I couldn’t. I was utterly terrified. I could see Patrick’s leg covered in blood. I had no idea if he’d survive.”

In the aftermath, the wounded pair were taken to separate hospitals, where they both had to have their left legs amputated. It was a fortnight before they were stable enough to be reunited. Jessica says, “Seeing each other again was so emotional. We felt lucky to be alive – our injuries didn’t matter.”

RECOVERY

But it was a long, painful road to recovery, and Jessica has lost count of the number of operations she has had to endure. She has had skin grafts, and bone grafted from healthy parts of her body in an attempt to save her remaining leg. Jessica had to adjust to life in a wheelchair and learn to walk again on a prosthetic leg.

Her lifeline has been her assistance dog, Rescue, whom a local charity paired her with five months after the bombing. The black Labrador’s ability to open doors, flick light switches and pass Jessica her phone made life a little easier.

She says, “Getting up to feed and play with Rescue gave me a purpose and helped me smile again.”

Doctors battled to save Jessica’s injured right leg for nearly two years but, in January 2015, it had to be amputated after several infections, which Jessica admits she found hard.

HOPEFUL

To help her recovery, Jessica decided to write a children’s book about Rescue and a young girl trying to adjust to life with prosthetics.

Jessica says, “It teaches children to think differently about people with disabilities and normalises the situation.”

Now, Jessica and Patrick, 34, are feeling hopeful for their future.

“The past few years have tested our relationship and we still have regular therapy sessions. But I believe it’s made us stronger,” she says. “Patrick has been very supportive and although we’ve been through so much, we still have a lot of fun together.”

And the couple haven’t given up on their dream of having children.

Jessica says, “We had to put our plans to have children on hold because of all the operations, but we’re still keen to become parents. We’re not sure if we’ll be able to have children of our own, but we’d consider adoption – we won’t let the bombers ruin our dreams.”

❛GETTING UP TO FEED AND PLAY WITH MY DOG GAVE ME A PURPOSE AND HELPED ME SMILE AGAIN❜