An epileptic woman has shared an awe-inspiring video of the moment her service dog ‘saved her life’ by jumping up to warn her about an impending seizure — before catching her as she fell to the ground.
In a now-viral video shared on TikTok, the US-based woman, who known only as Tina, is seen standing at the sink in her kitchen doing the dishes while her German shepherd Max is lying at her feet.
However, several seconds into the clip, Max’s ears prick up and he jumps up, sniffing at Tina’s legs and torso before standing up on his hind legs and placing his front paws on the counter in an attempt to get her attention.
Livesaver: A TikTok user named Tina shared footage of her German shepherd Max jumping up to warn her that she was about to suffer a seizure while she was in the kitchen
Warning: In the now-viral clip, Tina, who is based in the US, is seen washing the dishes at her sink, before Max begins sniffing her and jumping up to get her attention
Incredible: Moments after the dog tried alerting Tina, she collapses to the ground, with Max positioning himself to cushion her fall
Tina appears to be confused by Max’s reaction, and she gestures for him to get down from the counter, but he won’t leave her alone. Just as she is bending down to pet him, she falls to the floor.
Max is ready to catch her, and after she collapses on top of him, he slowly lies down and remains underneath her on the floor.
‘This was supposed to be a training clip but he alerted to something I didn’t know was coming!’ she explained in the caption.
Tina, who began suffering from epileptic seizures and migraines in 2001 when she was just 23 years old, called Max ‘my lifesaver’ when she posted the video, which has been viewed more than four million times and has earned thousands of comments.
Trained: Max stayed underneath her the entire time and gently lied down on the ground while she was on top of him
Good boy: ‘He’s trained to hold my weight so I don’t fall,’ she explained in the comments of her viral video. ‘Depending on the type of seizure I’m having will factor to how he responds’
‘Oh my gosh this made me cry, how wonderful are animals especially our own. I bet [you’re] so thankful for him,’ one person gushed.
‘Dogs are the closest things to angels we have on this planet,’ another agreed. ‘Sending virtual hugs to you both.’
‘You’re like, SIR please get down. And he’s like NOPE we’re both getting down! What a good boy!’ someone else responded.
Tina has been training Max as a service dog for several months, posting videos of the process on her TikTok account and revealing how he helps to keep her safe.
Famous pooch: Tina called Max ‘my lifesaver’ when she posted the video, which has been viewed more than four million times and has earned thousands of comments
Looking back: Tina began suffering from epileptic seizures and migraines in 2001 when she was just 23 years old. She was unable to find a medicine that would help her
Social media star: Tina has been training Max as a service dog for several months, posting videos of the process on her TikTok account and revealing how he helps to keep her safe
‘He’s trained to hold my weight so I don’t fall,’ she explained in the comments of her viral video. ‘Depending on the type of seizure I’m having will factor to how he responds.’
She added that ‘someone is always here with us to assist as well if my convulsions get severe.’
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by unpredictable seizures. The condition has a wide range of seizure types and control varying from person to person.
There are 3.4 million people in the US alone who have epilepsy, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. The seizure disorder may be related to a brain injury, genetics, immune, brain structure, or metabolic cause, but the cause often remains unknown.
Special gift: According to a study published in March 2019, trained dogs can detect an odor linked to epileptic seizures, and they may be able to sniff them out before they happen
Seizure medicines are the most common form of treatment. They don’t cure the condition, but they can help to stop or reduce seizures.
According to a 2019 study carried out by The University of Rennes in France, dogs can detect an odor that is linked to epileptic seizures and may be able to predict impending episodes.
However, more studies are required to determine the exact chemical makeup of seizure odors, as well as if the scent is present before an incident occurs.
‘We know dogs can predict seizures, which is why Support Dogs train them,’ a spokesperson for Epilepsy Action said in a statement at the time. ‘We still don’t know whether they do that by smell or some other sense.
‘So this research is interesting and could be a next step in understanding how dogs can further support people living with uncontrolled epilepsy.’