Dogs are incredible. They can be intelligent, insightful, energetic, and real-life heroes! Today, we are commending a border collie named Axel, a hero to his whole family. If you are not familiar with the breed, they are working dogs. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), border collies are extremely bright and workaholics. As a herding breed, border collies naturally tend to “parent” or “nanny” their family. Axel has an abundance of this trait.
Rescued by the Tanner family in Spring, Texas, Axel is about one year old. On August 26, 2023, Axel awakened his owners, Daines and Amanda Tanner, at 5:00 A.M. Thinking the dog just wanted out, Daines sleepily opened the door. But Axel had stopped in front of the door leading to their 17-year-old son’s room and wouldn’t budge. When Daines opened the door to check on his son, Gabriel was slurring his speech and having some trouble with feeling on his right side.
Jumping into action, they got Gabriel to the hospital. The dog had alerted them that the active, athletic teen was having a stroke! Gabriel was diagnosed at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center by Dr. Sabih Effendi. Dr. Effendi is a neurosurgeon and stroke medical director for the facility. He told the Tanners that Axel’s persistence in waking them made a “massive” difference in the potential outcome. During an interview with “Today,” Dr. Effendi stated, “It’s very amazing that their dog alerted and started this whole process of getting everyone awake and going downstairs.”
When a person has a stroke, the earlier they receive treatment, the better their chances of survival and recovery. The dog’s quick action in alerting Gabriel’s parents to Gabriel’s stroke means that Gabriel has a better chance of complete recovery. It’s been a few months, and Dr. Effendi is praising Gabriel’s progress. Because of the stroke, he is working with a homebound teacher but hopes to return to school soon. Senior year is an important part of a kid’s life, and Gabriel doesn’t want to miss it!
Gabriel is also looking forward to returning to the soccer field. He is still getting speech, occupational, and physical therapy as an out-patient but makes daily improvements. Gabriel states, “I feel like as I was before.” The entire family knows they owe this miracle to Axel. Daines plans to make a small Medal of Honor for Axel’s collar. The nanny instincts are in full gear, and Axel now follows Gabriel everywhere.
This story’s featured image can be found here.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.