Veteran with PTSD was asleep when service dog started pawing at him—the wake-up call saved his life
When people say that their pets have saved their lives, we often underestimate the extent to which they mean so. With the help of companionship, pets have a way of bringing back purpose and with their intelligence and instincts, they have the ability to save a life. Hank Ford, an Army and Marine Corps veteran, credits his dog, Tommy, for doing both of these things, as noted by CBS News. The man was struggling with PTSD until the service dog came into his life. While he saved him mentally, he also gave his pet parent a wake-up call one night that saved his life.
"I've got 20 years in the military, 11 years active and the rest of it was reserves. Then, I was a lieutenant down at the penitentiary in Florence, so the prison… it just took a toll on me,” the veteran recalled. He added that many of his postings were traumatic. "With the stress levels after my last tour in Iraq, I actually lost my job and was forced into retirement,” he revealed. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, PTSD is very common among those who have worked in the military. 7 out of every 100 (or 7%) veterans suffer from PTSD at some point in life.
With his life spiraling downward, Tommy became his hope. When the duo met, there was an “instant bond.” “He gets me out of my own mind,” Ford shared. Before he knew it, the canine became his companion, sharing every bit of life. "He wasn't the light at the end of the tunnel. He was the light. It was a dark place and he turned it on. He just completely turned my life around,” the veteran remarked. While the pet owner had a lot to be grateful for, the canine gave him another significant gift with his instinct and astute action. One early morning, around 5.30, after Ford’s wife went to work, the dog restlessly tried to wake him up. At first, Ford didn’t understand what troubled the dog.
"I was like, 'Leave me alone, I'm fine, I just wanna sleep,’” he recalled. When the dog persisted, he thought he wanted to go to the bathroom and eventually decided to wake up. As soon as he got up from the bed, he started feeling dizzy. “I'm lightheaded, I'm really weak,” he recounted. Even then, he didn’t think there could be any problem and proceeded to the door and let the dog out. The pet refused to go out and kept pawing at his owner’s chest. With his strange behavior, Ford finally guessed something was wrong with him. He took note of Tommy, focused on his chest and decided to check his heart rate. It was unusually high. He rushed to the hospital.
"The doctors said that with how bad my atrial fibrillation was, I wouldn't have woken up or I would've had a massive stroke," the veteran remarked. Ford instantly knew it was all Tommy. His service dog, once again, saved his life. The doctors were surprised by the recovery process and the canine stayed by his owner’s side throughout. "He lay on my chest for hours. I don't know if he knew exactly what was going on but he definitely knew something wasn't right,” he explained. Ever since, the duo’s bond has gotten stronger. "They work. They have a purpose, and he serves that purpose fully. Yeah, he saved my life,” Ford said.