Katie Graham and her service dog, Bailey, have been together for around four years now, and without him her life would be vastly different.
“I suffer from an array of medical conditions, one of them being POTS,” Graham told The Dodo. “Bailey alerts to my rising heart rate prior to a fainting episode. This allows me enough time to sit and get in a safe position in case I do lose consciousness. Bailey will do what is called deep pressure therapy to help lower my heart rate and encourage blood flow. This helps keep me awake. He is able to retrieve medications, water, my phone, blanket, snacks, really anything you ask him to get. He seems to just know.”
Bailey loves helping his mom and makes sure he’s right by her side whenever she needs him. When she needs help, he does everything he’s trained to do depending on the situation — and sometimes even things he isn’t trained to do.
Recently, Graham was doing the dishes when Bailey sensed that her heart rate was rising and she might be in danger of fainting. He quickly encouraged her to sit down and grabbed her phone from the counter in case she needed to call for help. He then returned to the counter to grab her medicine, but it was too far back, and he couldn’t reach it.
That’s when Bailey did something unexpected and truly amazing. He jumped up onto the counter.
“I was surprised when he jumped on the counter, but I know in my heart he will do anything to ensure I get what I need to be okay,” Graham said. “He is very determined and does not give up. Jumping on the counter is not allowed in my house to prevent counter-surfing puppies. What Bailey did was intelligent disobedience. This means that he knows he is not allowed to jump on the counter, but he knew he absolutely had to in order to keep me safe and healthy.”
@serviceaussiebailey The daily struggle with POTS is often a silent fight. People do not understand how debilitating it is on a daily basis. My condition worsens as I try to just keep my life in order. It’s so unbelievably heartbreaking to realize your body can’t even handle doing dishes anymore. #pots #potssyndrome #potsawareness #spoonless #disability #POTS #fyp #foryou #servicedog #GetCrackin ♬ original sound – iconic films
Bailey isn’t supposed to jump on the counter, but in that moment, he knew his mom needed her medicine, and that was more important than anything else. He did what he had to do in order to reach it, and quickly brought it to her. Then, he opened up the fridge and got her a bottle of water to take it with.
Graham has a camera set up to catch Bailey in action, and posted the footage of this incredible moment on TikTok. Everyone who has seen in is truly it awe of Bailey and the immense love he has for his mom.
“People are amazed at how Bailey is able to sense an episode and his determination to help me feel better,” Graham said.
When his mom needs him, Bailey is there no matter what, and he’ll never stop doing what he needs to do to make sure his mom can live her best life.
“By posting my medical journey, others are saying they do not feel as alone,” Graham said. “Bailey is my rock. He is always there for me, and I can count on him during my lowest times.”
Source: The Dodo
