‘Udo is such a big help – he lifts my spirits every day’
ASSISTANCE DOG TRANSFORMS TONI-JANE’S LIFE
A RARE and debilitating condition has left North Kirklees woman ToniJane Bromley struggling to look after herself.
Toni-Jane, 35, from Liversedge, is one of only a handful of people in West Yorkshire to suffer with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
The condition, which only affects about one in 5,000 to 20,000 people worldwide, has seen her suffer painful ankle, knee and shoulder dislocations all her life.
She has a range of other symptoms, including extreme fatigue.
After 30 years of living with the “Hypermobile” type of the syndrome, she has now found a fourlegged friend can provide more than just company.
Toni-Jane managed to secure an assistance dog from the charity, Dogs For Good, luckily just a few weeks before lockdown.
Udo, a yellow Labrador, is able to do a range of household chores, helping Toni-Jane retain some independence.
He helps to pick things up when she drops them, brings her the post and small parcels, helps to strip the bedsheets off, empties the washing machine and opens doors.
Toni-Jane showed signs of the rare genetic condition when she was only two years old, but she was not diagnosed until she was 32, when a physiotherapist spotted that many of her symptoms were those of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
“My ankles, and occasionally my shoulders, kept dislocating when I was a child and they didn’t know why,” she said.
“When I was school age, my knees got dislocated several times and I had other symptoms throughout my childhood and, by the time I was 16, the doctors thought I had chronic fatigue syndrome.
“Then my entire body started to shut down after I was involved in a car accident. It was horrific, all my joints were dislocating and I was having dizzy spells.
“My physiotherapist suspected I might have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and referred me to a rheumatologist and finally they diagnosed me with the condition when I was 32.”
Toni-Jane has had ten surgeries to fix dislocations in her ankle, hand and jaw, she has problems with her digestion and heart and takes painkillers every day. She uses a wheelchair to get around and is due to get more operations on her hands.
Early diagnosis is important for managing the illness and Toni-Jane is much more careful now about the activities she takes part in to avoid injury. She also takes medication to control the symptoms and prevent it from getting worse.
After her diagnosis, Toni-Jane started following other people with the illness on social media and discovered some of them had assistance dogs. She did some research and found out about Dogs for Good’s assistance dogs and the task work they are expertly-trained to carry out and thought it would be really helpful for her.
Dogs for Good provides highlytrained assistance dogs to people with physical disabilities and families who have a child with autism. The charity also supports people with learning disabilities and dementia to help them lead a more independent life through the help of a trained dog.
Toni-Jane said: “The first time I met Udo, I fell in love with him straight away. He’s a really sweetnatured dog and I thought he’d be a good help for me because he was very attentive, has lots of energy and is very enthusiastic about his task work!
“Udo is also a sensitive soul and, while it took him a couple of weeks to settle and feel comfortable in the house, we’ve had so much time together during lockdown that our bond has gone from strength to strength. Now I can’t imagine going anywhere without him. He knows exactly what he’s doing and doesn’t get distracted by anything.
“He’s so confident in supermarkets and on buses now.
“He’s totally transformed my life, I have so much more energy now and he’s great company. He lifts my spirits every day, which has been particularly important through lockdown.”
Dogs for Good Instructor, Katie Anakin, from Liverpool, who worked with Toni-Jane and Udo when they were first matched, said: “Udo is quite a sensitive lad and he seems to have really thrived during lockdown because they’ve had so much bonding time.
“He’s such a smart dog and loves helping Toni-Jane. He’s particularly good at picking things up for her when she drops them and can’t reach them herself, such as her keys, purse or mobile phone.”