In the quiet hours of dawn, Amanda Tanner was jolted awake by an insistent nudge.
It wasn’t an alarm or a family member, but rather her rescue border collie, Axel.
This wasn’t a typical morning routine for Axel, and his persistence hinted at something far more urgent than a simple desire to play or go outside.
At first, the couple didn’t think anything was wrong.
Amanda initially dismissed the early morning interruption, attributing Axel’s behavior to a possible need to relieve himself.
However, Axel, with an intelligence and intuition that belied his canine nature, refused to head outdoors.
Instead, he led Amanda’s husband on a path that neither of them could have anticipated, straight to the room of their 17-year-old son, Gabriel.
Gabriel, who had been perfectly fine just hours earlier, taking senior pictures and enjoying his day, was now in distress.
He described a sensation of the world caving in around him.
His speech had become slurred, and a numbness had crept over the right side of his body.
The alarming symptoms were clear indicators of a medical emergency, though the exact nature of it remained elusive to his terrified parents.
The family’s swift response led to Gabriel being rushed to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Texas.
There, a grim diagnosis was delivered: Gabriel had suffered an ischemic stroke.
A blood vessel in his brain had partially closed off, a condition known as a dissection, restricting blood flow and depriving vital areas of oxygen.
If it weren’t for Axel, the couple might not have entered their son’s room until hours later.
Amanda told TODAY:
“We wouldn’t have thought to go into Gabriel’s room and wake him up. He’s a teenager. It was a Saturday morning. We went to bed late. We wouldn’t think to go in there until maybe noon.”
Strokes, while commonly associated with the elderly, are not exclusive to them.
Every year, almost 800,000 people in the United States experience a stroke.
Alarmingly, about 15% of these incidents occur in children and adults under the age of 40.
Gabriel, despite his youth, had become a part of this statistic.
He had a difficult road ahead.
As Gabriel embarked on the challenging journey of rehabilitation, working diligently to regain his motor skills and speech, he also underwent a profound personal transformation.
He began to view life through a different lens, emphasizing the importance of cherishing moments and not dwelling on the negatives.
Their dog truly was a hero.
Amidst the medical interventions and therapies, one fact remained undeniable: Axel’s timely intervention had been crucial.
The doctors acknowledged that without Axel’s keen senses and prompt alert, Gabriel’s condition could have deteriorated further, potentially leading to more severe consequences.
Amanda told GMA:
“I am beyond grateful for whatever sensitivity Axel has to tell us what’s going on and to have moved that so fast.”
Recognizing his potential, the family now intends to train Axel as a service dog, further honing his innate skills.
Amanda told TODAY:
“He’s now tasked with following Gabriel everywhere. 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.”
Dogs aren’t just lovable pets that bring us joy – they can also be very smart too.
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