Dogs are truly a man's best friend, and if you didn't believe it before, this story will surely make you think otherwise. A 1-year-old border collie named Axel saved the life of 17-year-old Gabriel Tanner, a seemingly healthy teen who was having a stroke at around 5 a.m.
The teen's parents, Amanda Tanner and her husband, were sound asleep in their bedroom when the dog came into their room and woke them from their sleep. The dog pressed for the couple's attention until the dad, thinking Axel wanted to be let outside, went downstairs and opened the door. But the dog didn't go outside. He instead stopped in front of Gabriel's door and wouldn't move.
“He was pawing me more than normal to get me to move,” the 44-year-old mom said. But they had no idea as to the reason why at first.
When Gabriel's dad went into his room to check on him, he noticed that his son's speech was slurred and that he couldn't feel the right side of his face. The athletic teen, who had just taken his senior photos earlier that day, was rushed to the hospital.
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The heroic dog made a "massive" difference in Gabriel's outcome, according to the doctor who treated the teen. Dr. Sabih Effendi is a neurosurgeon and stroke medical director at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center in Texas.
“It’s very amazing that their dog alerted and started this whole process of getting everyone awake and going downstairs,” he said. “When somebody’s acutely having a stroke, the neurons are dying. … If he was not found and another three or four hours went by, there would have been more and more and more brain injury.”
According to Gabriel, he didn't have any known health problems before his stroke took place. The night before, he noted having a headache, but once he felt better he played video games and went to sleep. He remembered his dad coming into his room and how he wasn't able to lift up his right arm or grab hold of his dad's hand. But he didn't remember slurring his speech.
“There was no pain,” Gabriel said. He did recall that his vision got “really fuzzy” and “zoomed in.” By the time the teen got to the hospital, he had trouble understanding and speaking language. It was revealed that he was having a left-sided stroke.
The doctor thought that even if Gabriel recovered, he would need 24/7 care. But because of Axel, the teen was able to make a full recovery. He was put on blood thinners, which helps restore blood flow.
“We wouldn’t have thought to go into Gabriel’s room and wake him up," his mom said. "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."
As for Axel, the family plans to make him a medal of honor to go on his collar. “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.”
