Massachusetts General Hospital | MassGeneral Hospital for Children

Make Way for Ducklings

MGHfC patients quack and laugh on a Boston Duck Tour.

26/Jun/2012

MGHfC patient Stephen, 11, cruises the Boston Harbor on a Boston Duck Tours boat.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, precious cargo piled aboard a Boston Duck Tours boat for a tour of the city. A small group of MassGeneral Hospital for Children patients and their families enjoyed the ride, which was made possible by an anonymous donor. As the star-spangled boat, “Old Gloria,” sped into the harbor, cheers erupted from the crew.

MGHfC patient Stephen, 11, and his family quacked and laughed as “Captain Longhorn” cracked jokes and shared historical facts along the way. It was the Boston natives’ first time on a duck tour, and Stephen, whose favorite subject in school is history, shouted out answers to Captain Longhorn’s quiz questions during the trip. After the duck boat splashed into the water, Stephen volunteered to take over as Old Gloria’s captain for a while, steering the boat alongside the Longfellow Bridge with ease.

“My favorite part was when we went from land to water,” Stephen says. “Also saying ‘quack’ to everyone was really fun.”