Dog Wakes Up A Sleeping Couple To Alert Them That Their Son Is Having A Stroke

Nov 03, 2023 by apost team

Dogs have proven time and time again just why they are referred to as man’s best friend. From their unwavering loyalty to their unconditional love, dogs have nothing but kindness and positivity to offer to the people who choose to care for them. Adopting or rescuing a dog doesn’t just give you a pet; it gives you a new family member.

One dog, in particular, saved one of his owners from succumbing to a fatal condition when he woke up the other owners in the adjacent room. 

Sharing to People Magazine the heroism of their dog, Amanda and Daines Tanner detailed how their dog’s quick thinking saved the life of their teenage son. 

On Aug. 26, 2023, the couple was awakened by their 1-year-old Border Collie Axel. The dog insisted on waking the two at 5 a.m. with his energetic waggling got Daines out of bed. 

As soon as the door opened, he bolted out and went to Gabriel’s room — the couple’s 17-year-old son, who turns out, could not move at the time. Daines then was surprised to see his stepson, Gabriel, slurring his words and paralyzed on the right side of his body – he was suffering from a stroke. 

“Axel has always been very intuitive. He can tell when something is wrong – like if we are feeling down or stressed – and he does his best to fix the problem,” Gabriel told the magazine about their dog. “That morning he must have sensed I needed help so he woke up someone who could help.”

When Daines found his stepson, they immediately rushed him to the nearby hospital for treatment. A neurosurgeon treated him, and initially, he had completely lost the ability to speak, and the right side of his body was significantly weak. 

Speaking to People Magazine, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center Stroke Director Dr. Sabih Effendi shared that if Axel had not alerted the parents on time, the outcome would have been completely different. 

“Millions of neurons are lost each minute that passes during an ischemic stroke, ultimately impacting speech and movement and could even result in death. Had the family dog not alerted Gabriel’s parents, and had Gabriel’s parents not identified his symptoms as stroke symptoms, the time to treatment could have been severely delayed resulting in a much different outcome for Gabriel,” Effendi emphasized. 

It was revealed later on that the cause of Alex’s stroke was an arterial dissection, which was widely considered one of the leading causes of stroke in people under 30. 

“He’s senior year. He’s (in) varsity soccer. And I’m like, what just happened? A whole life of planning and it all looks different now,” Amanda told Today.

Alex has since been recovering from the stroke. He has also significantly improved from his physical, occupational, and speech therapy sessions. Telling the show about their dog, Amanda, revealed that they plan to make a little Medal of Honor for Axel’s collar. 

“He’s now tasked with following Gabriel everywhere,” she says. “He’s now sleeping with Gabriel more, and Gabriel’s doors are open so he can go in and out. He’s always been very sensitive to everything and everybody’s emotions at home.”

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What can you say about Axel the Dog? Do you have a pet like him, too, or do you know someone who has? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other loved ones out there!