A helping paw
I couldn’t get through life without my furry friend
If it wasn’t for our Lily, we would
both
be dead
Bending down to pick toys off the floor, I groaned.
Being a childminder for over 30 years had always kept me young. But recently, it wasn’t easy. Achy joints, pain when walking...my ailments were getting me down.
‘You should see the doctor,’ my daughter Jenny, then 26, urged in January 2011.
The GP prescribed painkillers and told me to keep active.
That’s when Jenny and I discussed getting a dog.
It would be good to get me walking, I reasoned.
So, we started the search online for the perfect pup.
And in April 2011, we found her – Lily-Rose, a Papillon-crossbreed! Her owner was moving to a flat that didn’t allow pets.
Lily soon settled in with us.
She was an amazing addition to our family.
Always snuggling up with the kids I minded, making a fuss of Jenny and me, too.
We loved her instantly – but even with our new furry friend, my health
didn’t really improve.
In May 2012, I had to give up childminding completely.
One safety requirement is to be able to do CPR on the floor. But my knees wouldn’t let me.
So I had no choice but to take early retirement.
I was gutted.
And the pain in my hips, knees and ankles was only getting worse.
By August 2015, I was reliant on a walker and equipment to help pull myself out of bed.
I was referred to hospital and given an MRI.
‘It could be arthritis,’ the doctor explained.
I knew that osteoarthritis the most common type in the UK.
It affects nearly nine million people.
My symptoms all matched. The stiff joints, aching pains, lack of movement.
And my MRI confirmed it. I had osteoarthritis.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, is
knowing there was no cure. Thankfully, I wasn’t alone. Somehow, it was like Lily knew I needed a helping paw. She became so attentive. Getting my bag or slippers, so I needn’t move.
If I dropped something, she’d pass it to me.
‘Did you teach her that?’ a friend asked.
‘No,’ we said. ‘She just knows.’
And it soon went further than that…
In January 2016, Jenny was choking on a biscuit. Already in bed, I was oblivious.
But Lily jumped on her chest and dislodged the snack. She saved Jenny’s life! Then, in June 2018, I had a heart attack.
Everything went blurry as I hit the floor.
Lily began barking and scratching at Jenny’s door to get her attention. Amazingly, it worked. Jenny was able to get me to the hospital in time.
If it wasn’t for Lily, we’d both be dead.
That’s why Jenny, now 34, nominated Lily for the Blue Cross Medal (the animal charity’s award for hero pets). In April this year, we heard... She won!
Lily not only saved us both, she also helps me daily, and I couldn’t be more thankful.
Our lives wouldn’t be the same without our clever pup.
See more at bluecross.org.uk