Service dogs are important, especially for people with special needs. And one woman demonstrates how in a video that has gone viral.
Katherine Graham, a TikToker, posted the video earlier this month, and it received 11 million views. She captions the video creatively, personifying the dog as he goes through the motions of assisting her.
After, she collapses to the ground. Bailey takes notice and exits the frame. Then he returns with a pill bottle in his mouth, which he drops on Graham.
Then Bailey exits the frame again to retrieve a water bottle for his owner. Eventually, Graham sits up. At the end of the video, she captions how living alone and with a disability can be a frightening experience. That is why she is eternally thankful to Bailey.
According to Graham’s account, she has POT syndrome, which affects blood flow. The Cleveland Clinic describes symptoms as the onset of lightheadedness, fainting, and an uncomfortable, rapid increase pulse rate that occurs when standing up from a lying position.
Graham told Newsweek that POTS had had a significant impact on her life since she first noticed the early signs when she was 16 years old.
Migraines plagued her and she was nauseous and exhausted all the time. Her symptoms grew significantly worse as I grew older. She also had a genetic kidney problem, which caused me to get recurrent infections. She in and out from the hospital several times.
Her POTS symptoms worsened as a result of the disease. In August of 2020, I also had COVID. After that, I would faint several times per day. This terrified her and made her feel lonely.
A service dog, with proper training, can alert their owner when they have a dizzy spell or other similar symptoms. The dogs bark or initiate physical contact to warn you of an impending episode. According to the website, this allows you to be aware of the situation and anticipate a fainting spell.
The presence of a dog can also help a person stabilize themselves if they become disoriented or better understand their spatial surroundings. Trainers can also teach dogs to retrieve objects for their owners, as seen in the video.
Graham stated that Bailey was only eight weeks old when she adopted him in 2016. She taught him herself, with the assistance of trainers and other service dog handlers.
“Since then, I’ve taught him a variety of tasks to assist me in staying awake. He will pick up items that I drop off so that I do not have to bend over. He’ll get my medicine or water from the refrigerator. He’s going to take my socks off.
Graham claims in the video that Morgan would jump on her to warn her that her heart rate increased. That is a sign that she should lie down.
The service dog performs deep pressure therapy on Graham after laying down. To aid circulation, he places his body weight on my legs. If I do fall asleep, he knows how to lick my hands and face in an attempt to wake me up, “Morgan stated.
She claims he also aids in disrupting some of her psychiatric tics, such as picking at her skin, scratching her legs, and nail-biting.
Graham claims she has faith in Bailey with her life.
Watch the video to see Bailey demonstrate his lifesaving gesture: