1D dancer: Dog saved my life now I’m saving other animals

Gemma Mckee faced life in a wheelchair when she broke both heels while performing in 2012.

But she says the bond she had with Great Dane Cesar helped her make a full recovery.

And it was made all the more special when Cesar suffered complications with his own legs and had to use a wheeled harness to follow Gemma around.

But the 10st faithful dog, who even helped Gemma get through a broken marriage, had to be put down last year.

“It was quite sudden, almost like he’d been hanging on for me and putting all his energy into me,” says a heartbroken Gemma.

“As soon as he knew I was going to be OK, he let go.”

Now she’s given up dancing to foster homeless dogs and study veterinary science to become an animal physiotherapist.

She got Cesar as a puppy in 2011 after her widowed mum died of cancer. The same year she got her big break as a backing dancer on a 1D tour.

But in 2012, Gemma’s life was thrown into turmoil.

A leap into a pool in Hamburg as part of a dance routine by her troupe Doll House went horribly wrong when she landed feet first in the shallow end.

She had metal plates inserted into both heels and there was no guarantee she’d walk again.

But with Cesar by her side, Gemma, 32, summoned up the courage to take her first steps in August 2013. Two years later tragedy struck again when Cesar’s back legs gave way.

But the two kept encouraging each other and Gemma went from strength to strength, even getting back on the dance floor.

She said “He became a celebrity and owners of disabled pets told me our story gave them hope.”

The Sunday People revealed their amazing story and they even appeared on ITV’S This Morning.

In August 2017, Gemma wed her long-time partner in Tuscany with Cesar walking her down the aisle in a waistcoat and bow tie.

But the marriage fell apart in just over a year. Once more, her companion was there for her. “He would wipe away my tears, snuggle up with me and physically drag me out of bed in the morning when I didn’t want to get up,” says Gemma.

But not long after she had moved out of the marital home, Cesar fell seriously ill and there was no hope of recovery. Gemma relives the painful moment he looked at her for the last time.

She said: “Human or animal it doesn’t matter. I was lucky enough to meet my soulmate and experience true love. Looking at me, he stretched out and gave a huge sigh before his big, soft eyes closed.”

Now living in Surrey with Cesar’s ashes buried under a Great Dane statue by the door, Gemma works for a veterinary surgery’s management team.

“I know he’d be proud of everything I’ve done,” she says. “He was my soulmate.

“So far I’ve rescued four dogs from Cyprus and helped them find loving homes in the UK.

“Cesar and I both gave each other a second chance in life and I want other dogs and families to experience that.”

To donate to Gemma’s foster service please visit paws4homesfoundation.com