This reliable dog’s actions serve as proof of the relentless bond between humans and their pets.
Meet Axel
Axel is a spunky 1-year-old border collie the Tanner family had rescued and included in their family as a significant member.
His Story
He was part of a litter of nine puppies found and rescued by a group of rescuers in Houston, Texas, and after quite some time of waiting for a forever home, the Tanner family stepped in to bring him to their loving home.
One Unfateful Morning
On a Saturday morning, at around 5 a.m., Amanda Tanner and her husband noticed Axel being unusually incessant. He was energetically jumping onto the bed, nudging and pawing at them, informing them that something was wrong.
Odd Behavior
Thinking Axel might just want to go outside, Amanda’s husband decided to go downstairs, but the dog stopped in front of the closed bedroom door of their 17-year-old son, Gabriel, and stood there intensely.
A Medical Emergency
Upon entering Gabriel’s room, they saw him in the middle of having a stroke – his words were slurred, and there was numbness on the right side of his body, so they immediately took him to the emergency room.
Thanks, Axel
Dr. Sabih Effendi, a renowned neurosurgeon who attended to Gabriel, highlighted the pivotal role Axel played. He said, “It’s very amazing that their dog alerted and started this whole process. When somebody’s acutely having a stroke, the neurons are dying. If he was not found and another three or four hours went by, the repercussions would have been devastating with extensive brain injury.”
He Didn’t Know
Gabriel said he was perfectly fine the night before, with just a fleeting headache. The next morning, he was already having a hard time lifting his right arm, and his vision had become distorted. At the hospital, his angiogram showed that the cause was a left-sided stroke, which resulted from a spontaneous arterial dissection.
Preventing Further Problems
The hospital staff administered blood thinners to Gabriel to restore his blood flow. Intravenous fluids were also provided to enhance blood volume and facilitate better blood flow to the brain. Dr. Sabih Effendi explained the importance of the role Axel played in the scenario. He said, “The longer that went by without being on a blood thinner, the more severe the repercussions of his stroke would have been.”
Life Goes On
Today, Gabriel has been continuing to recover. He’s actively participating in home-based classes and is currently undergoing physical, occupational, and speech therapies to rejoin his schoolmates and eventually go back to playing on the soccer field.
