Photo: Iuliia Zavalishina / iStock / Getty Images
When a normally healthy teenager in Texas had a stroke recently, it was the family dog, Axel, who was responsible for him getting help in time. Early one Saturday morning, the one-year-old border collie the family rescued woke up the teen's parents, who initially ignored him until they noticed the dog's persistence. Axel led them to their 17-year-old son, Gabriel, who was slurring his speech and couldn't move his right side.
The family quickly rushed him to the hospital where doctors diagnosed him as having a left-sided stroke due to a spontaneous tear in an artery that supplies blood to the brain. They say the timeliness of getting medical help made a "massive" difference in the outcome and prevented further brain injury.
Thanks to Axel's alertness, Gabriel received prompt treatment and now, less than two months after the stroke, he’s making "amazing" progress. The family hopes he can soon return to school and soccer. Axel, the hero dog, is being recognized with a medal of honor for his life-saving actions and is now following Gabriel everywhere, keeping a close eye on the teen.
Source: TODAY