A woman suffering from a rare condition has shared footage of the incredible moment her service dog saves her life as she suffers a sudden episode at home.
Katie Graham, 24, had had postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) since childhood – which causes symptoms including a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue when going from sitting or lying down to standing.
In 2019 she was given Australian Shepherd, Bailey, as a service dog to help her during sudden attacks.
During a recent episode, a camera in Katie’s house captured the moment Bailey stepped in to warn her of an impending episode – even fetching her medicine and water.
The TikTok has gone viral, garnering 24 million views and 2.7 million likes, and leaving viewers in tears. “I am so unbelievably grateful to have Bailey in my life,” Katie from Kennesaw, Georgia, US, told NeedToKnow.co.uk.
“Bailey is trained to pick up a scent my body gives off prior to going into a medical episode.
“This gives me enough time to get to a safe spot and prepare to lose consciousness.
“The syndrome is a very debilitating disability and can cause a person to randomly faint.
“He is trained to go get my medication, water, and anything that I need during the time I have to stay on the ground.
“He does deep pressure therapy which helps prevent blood pooling which could ultimately make me not faint.
“He will go get help if I stop breathing and does hugs to help calm me.
“He is so determined and quick-witted, I know that despite any challenge, he will ensure to do his job and keep me safe.
“He allows me to have freedom and to feel safe even when I am alone.
“He is my lifeline and I could not live without him.”
In the clip, Katie can be seen working on her laptop in the kitchen before standing up.
As she walks, four-year-old Bailey notices something is wrong, and jumps on to her to get her to sit down.
After he sits his owner down, the dog jumps onto a chair to grab her medicine from the counter, before opening the fridge and grabbing her a bottle of water.
After handing her the bottle, he sits on Katie to give deep pressure therapy.
The post was captioned: “Often times POTS hits you in the most random moments, which is why Bailey is so vital to my health.
“I was just trying to get a drink to go with my sandwich and apparently my heart decided to not work correctly.
“Without Bailey, I would’ve fainted and could’ve hit my head.”
Thousands of viewers commented on the clip, with many saying they were left in tears.
One person said: “I have POTS and this would be an actual lifesaver.”
Molly added: “Service dogs continue to blow my mind.”
Another fan wrote: “Dogs were literally sent from heaven.”
Nick commented: “I will never know how service dogs detect these things, but they’re absolute heroes.”
“The way he does it with such haste, not a moment wasted, no hesitation, a real hero,” said Krystal.
“GIVE THAT PUP AN AWARD,” added Layla.
“This makes me want to cry,” Alora wrote.
“Now I’m crying,” commented Olivia.
“This is amazing,” said Karina.
Kayla added: “There are no words to express how amazing this is.”
