Katie and Archie’s story

Medical Detection Dogs Katie and Archie’s story

In her 25 years, Katie Purcell has broken every bone in her body, including her spine, at least once and has even fractured her skull. Swimmer Katie, who competes at a national level, suffers from a catalogue of conditions, including dysautonomia and Addison’s disease, which cause her to pass out and fall. She also has hypermobility disorder, making her bones prone to dislocation.

But Archie the Labrador has changed her life – he has warned of a collapse more than 200 times since they were paired in January 2016, and Katie has even qualified for the European Masters Competition at London’s Olympic park. Katie has experienced “one or two” blackouts a year for as long as she can remember and suffered painful dislocations on a regular basis. And as time went on, her condition deteriorated. “I was blacking out five or six times a day. Every time I sat up or stood up, I would pass out. Her health problems brought a temporary end to her swimming career, but she refused to let her health put her out of the game for long. Her family were worried, but Katie, who competes long distance, was determined and found the frequent fainting episodes did not occur while she was swimming. “I didn’t want to be that disabled girl who lived at home. I did not want my illness to own me.” Her parents were constantly getting phone calls to say she had injured herself, and her swimming and work colleagues were forever picking her up off the floor. Life was taking its toll on Katie. “At the start, I would cry every time it happened, but after what felt like the 1,000th time, I was frustrated and angry,” she said. “I just thought: this is not a life.” Her mum found out about the charity Medical Detection Dogs and took Katie to an open day.

Medical Detection Dogs

The team at Medical Detection Dogs could see how desperate Katie’s situation was and pledged to do anything they could to help. “I said if they could stop me ending up in A&E just once I would be happy,” Katie added. Six months to the day later, Katie went to the charity’s Milton Keynes HQ to meet Archie and take him for a walk around town. “I sat down because I felt unwell and Archie become really agitated. “Then I passed out. When I came round, I burst into tears. I just couldn’t believe it.” The couple took him home for two days and Archie alerted Katie seven times. Following an intensive programme of scent training by Medical Detection Dogs Archie was placed with Katie permanently and gained accreditation to become a medical alert assistance dog in April 2016 To alert, Archie will sit and stare at

Katie, while wagging his tail. Katie will then put out her hand and Archie will knock it with his paw “in congratulations”, as Katie explains it.

He also goes to training and swim meets where the two of them have their own changing area. This gives Archie the chance to check her before she goes into the pool and, crucially, afterwards, when her blood pressure and heart rate recovery period makes her vulnerable. “It’s amazing to know I can go out and not end up in A&E. He has alerted me more than 200 times and that’s more than 200 times I could have ended up in hospital,” said Katie.

“It’s such a relief to people who I have worked with for years and to my family. “My partner James has said it’s the closest I could get to being cured.”

For further information on Medical Detection Dogs visit www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk

30 28 OCTOBER – 28 NOVEMBER 2018 RESCUE AND ANIMAL CARE

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