The four legged carer

Maddy Hamp, 43, from Brighton has multiple sclerosis (MS). She was diagnosed with MS 16 years ago and, more recently, advanced osteoporosis and a systemic auto-immune disease thought to be Lupus.

Maddy says her balance, co-ordination and strength are affected and she also suffers from extreme fatigue. As a result she is mostly reliant on a mobility scooter or power chair. Her weakness and tremor make it hard for her to hold onto objects or pick them up when dropped. She says a relapse can leave her bed or house bound for many weeks at a time.

Ms Hamp says she previously worked as a complaints handler for a water company before being signed off work for life around 10 years ago.

Five years ago Maddy got a German Shepherd puppy called Jake, who was aged just 8 weeks. She says it wasn’t until Jake was about 18 months old that she found out about Dog A.I.D.

Maddy says she found Mike of Rainbow Dogs who agreed to become a Dog A.I.D. trainer and take her and Jake on.

She said that Jake had already made a huge difference in her life as her pet dog and the companionship has been hugely important to her since she and her husband separated. Maddy says now Jake is able to her “in a more physical way, it is even more reassuring. Jake picks up everything I drop, from my purse to my phone to my walking stick, even fiddly things…this is particularly important as my mobility is restricted and my osteoporosis makes it dangerous for me to attempt to reach, bend and twist.”

Although Maddy has carers in each day they only visit for a few hours at a time so she has to be able to manage alone when they leave. She says having Jake to assist with tasks around the house makes her feel a lot more confident. Jake also helps outside the house, allowing Maddy to be independent, without the assistance of a carer.

Maddy says having Jake also helps her avoid social isolation, something that can be of real concern to many disabled people. She says people often want to talk to her about what Jake does giving her “some much needed dignity back” as she “can be proud of (her) achievement in training Jake.”

For further information about Dog A.I.D. visit the Dog A.I.D. website

By Clare Calder