Having a service dog is a great gift in the lives of those with disabilities. This is especially true for those who experience seizures. Because seizures come on unpredictably, they can be incredibly dangerous. A seizure might happen unexpectedly during a shower, at the top of a flight of stairs, or while crossing the street, and losing consciousness during these activities can lead to serious injury.
This was precisely the case with Abigail. She has fallen through a glass window, fell down a case of stairs, and has been hit by a car because of epilepsy and the seizures that she experiences. However, with the aid of her service dogs, she has been able to keep those injuries to a minimum. Abigail has had epilepsy for over 13 years, but in the last 5 years, her seizures have become more and more severe. At one point in her life, Abigail was able to control her seizures through medication. However, later, her partial, complex seizures got worse and she began to develop another type called myoclonic seizures. Amazingly, her dog, Rigor demonstrated his ability to alert Abigail when she was about to have a seizure.
Rigor would know ahead of time that a seizure was forthcoming. Minutes before a seizure, he would sit in front of Abigail, stare her in the face, and bark high-pitched. As her seizures got worse, Abigail began to rely on Rigor’s alerts to know when a seizure was immanent. However, Abigail knew that Rigor’s life was not going to last forever, and he was at the time already 12 years old.
Discovering the fact that the ability to alert oncoming seizures can be passed from dog to dog, Abigail got a 3-month-old Golden Retriever and named it Rancho. These dogs are specially trained service canines known as “seizure response dogs,” “seizure alert dogs,” “seizure assistance dogs,” or “epilepsy dogs.” Sure enough, after many months, the skill was passed on to her new pup. Abigail noticed that Rancho attentively observed Rigor when he was alerting Abigail of an immanent seizure, and when Rigor passed away, Rancho easily took over.
Just like Rigor, Rancho knew when a seizure was going to happen. She would also sit in front of Abigail, stare into her face, and bark. With the warning, Abigail is able to go and sit down allowing the seizure to come on while she is in a safe place and position. Rancho’s warnings are 100% effective. The service dog gives Abigail the utmost assurance that she will be safe regardless of what she does, where she is, and who she is with if a seizure takes place.
Abigail’s emotional safety and well being is an incredible gift considering that initially when she began to experience the myoclonic seizures and before Rigor knew how to warn her, she was unable to work. In a way, her life fell apart because of the unpredictability and the threat of the seizures. However, despite the seizures and with the help of Rigor at first and later Rancho, Abigail was able to return to living a healthy and active and fulfilling life. She has been able to return to school, complete her degree and establish a rewarding career. She credits the physical, emotional, and even financial well being to her service dogs. She no longer has to fear the threat of a seizure; instead, she knows that she can rely on the aid of her service dog Rancho to warn her and, indeed, each time she does, it is a way of saving her life.
It’s so awesome that these two dogs have kept Abigail’s seizure injuries to a minimal. I think it’s such a great idea to have trained puppies help out those who experience seizures frequently. The great thing about them is that they can be with the owner at all times – times when the doctor or a friend can’t. My cousin experiences seizures; I will tell him about this option and see if he goes for it.
This story is very touching. The fact that Rancho could take over warning Abigail after Rigor passed away was a wonderful gift. It’s unfortunate she faced so many hardships in the first place, though.