Books

Item Description

Kasey to the Rescue: The Remarkable Story of a Monkey and a Miracle

A single mother of five, Ellen Rogers has endured her fair share of tragedy, having lost both her first husband and stepdaughter to cancer. But nothing could have prepared Rogers for the June 2005 car accident that left her son Ned—now twenty five years old—a quadriplegic with a brain injury. The road to Ned's recovery was long and discouraging, but when Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled stepped in to provide him with a service animal to help him cope with his disabilities, things turned around. Kasey—an adorable, mischievous, fun-loving capuchin monkey—helped Ned and his family to see the world in a new way.

In this extraordinary memoir, author Ellen Rogers paints a vivid portrait of a large and loving family, and the challenges that they face together. She shares the low points (the phone call that changed her son's life), the high points (the monkey play that led to Ned's increased mobility), and the strangely in-between (bathing Kasey in the kitchen sink), with equal parts heart and humor. The story of an ordinary family thrust into extraordinary circumstances, this inspiring book proves that old adage, where there's life, there's hope.

Item Special Note

Autographed by Ellen, Ned and Kasey. One of a kind!

About Ned
DOB: January 20, 1983.
Place of Birth: Newton, Massachusetts.
Childhood home: Medfield, Massachusetts.
Education: Cushing Academy, University of Arizona, candidate for BA in Communications, Honorary Doctorate in Monkey Linguistics.
Occupation: Quote master extraordinaire and full time companion for capuchin monkey.
Favorite things to eat: Make your own burritos, York peppermint patties, mango peach hot sauce, anything he can eat himself without making a huge mess in order not to screw up his stellar wardrobe. Oh, and anything that Kasey might be able to nibble on.
Favorite pastimes: When Ned 1, working out, baseball, hockey, skiing, hiking, going to Uof A games, partying. Ned 2 – working out, talking to kids, hanging with the fam and Kasey.
Areas of expertise: Refereeing simian-sibling rivalries; charming nurses; photography; collecting quotes, sayings, words of wisdom for any occasion; driving a 350 pound wheel chair into the 4' by 6' confines of his handicapped accessible SUV.
Ned Sullivan lives in Concord, Massachusetts with his crazy family, two ridiculous and annoying dogs and his wingman, Kasey.

About Kasey
DOB: December 18, 1985.
Childhood home: A wonderful foster family in Virginia.
Education: Monkey College, Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers for the Disabled.
Occupation: Helper monkey extraordinaire.
Favorite things to eat: Walnuts, chicken, grilled zucchini, and of course, fresh Monkey Chow.
Favorite pastimes: Admiring herself in the mirror, writing in her journal or pretty much on any paper within reach, watching TV, partying, playing catch and most of all, snuggling with Ned.
Areas of expertise: Catching, torturing then eating bugs – particularly a juicy cricket or a pesky fly; fetching; itching Ned's head; unlocking locks; pick-pocketing anyone within reach in eternal hope that she will find a treat; zipping and unzipping a purse or your jacket or even your pants; removing watches, necklaces, or bracelets; charming the daylights out of every one she meets.
Kasey lives in Concord, Massachusetts with her Ned along with Ellen, various human siblings and two dogs whom she considers to be the lowest life forms on earth.

About Ellen
DOB: June 23, 195…
Place of birth: Cleveland, Ohio
Childhood home: Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Education: Hathaway Brown School, Smith College, 1974 Russian Civilization Major.
Occupation: Marketing executive at various hardware and software companies for 25 years then a marketing consultant. Now - an accidental caregiver.
Favorite things to eat: Cashews, chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and brunch.
Favorite pastimes: In another galaxy, traveling, playing golf, reading, going out with friends. These days, watching my 5 kids, ages 17 to 30 and little granddaughter grow into incredibly talented people; hanging with Ned and Kasey on the terrace soaking up some Vitamin D; taking a nap.
Areas of Expertise: Battling with insurance companies; repairing wheelchairs and other devices; translating monkey speak; college essay editor; ATM machine for assorted offspring; providing salon services to capuchins; managing schedules, diets, medicines, and therapies for a large cast of human, canine and simian characters.
Ellen lives in Concord, Massachusetts with various of her 5 children, two dogs and a little monkey.