The Reiser Family Foundation recently donated 350 copies of the best-selling Rescue & Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship (featuring NEADS Service Dog Rescue) to distribute to hospitals with a robust pediatric department and other organizations working with children. In the Boston area, books were delivered by NEADS Director of Development, Cathy Zemaitis, who was often accompanied by Emily Trout and NEADS Service Dog Bella to:

• Franciscan Children’s Hospital
• Tufts Floating Hospital for Children
• Shriners Hospitals for Children Boston
• Boston Children’s Hospital
• UMass Medical Center Worcester
• Boston Medical Center

Books have also been distributed to hospitals from New York City to Baltimore, including the Chilton Medical Center in New Jersey; Mount Sinai Hospital Pediatric Center and Maimonides Children’s Hospital in New York; and Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland.

This donation is just one of the many ways the Reiser Foundation, which was established by Manny Reiser and his wife, Rachel, in 2008, has supported NEADS over the years. “When I first learned of NEADS, I was impressed by its mission to help people suffering from hearing loss and other disabilities,” explains Manny. “As I became more involved and learned about all that goes into the training of the dogs, my interest in helping NEADS increased greatly.”

“When I met Marathon bombing survivors Jessica and Patrick, I was overwhelmed by what they had accomplished with the help of Jessica’s Service Dog, Rescue. This inspired us to purchase and distribute Rescue & Jessica to organizations that work with children. There are so many who will greatly benefit from learning of Jessica and Patrick’s incredible story.”

NEADS is grateful to the Reiser Family Foundation for its role in helping us spread the word about what our Service Dogs can do for people with disabilities as well as its financial support, and we look forward to continuing our relationship for years to come.