Service Dog Leaps Into Action To Help Owner During Seizure

Quick Smiles:

• Social media influencer Jamie Simpson shares her life-saving experience with her service dog, Echo.
• During Simpson’s epileptic seizure, Echo performed his trained tasks flawlessly, bringing her medication and preventing her from falling.
• The video of Echo’s heroic act has garnered over 29.9 million views and 3 million likes on TikTok, sparking a conversation about the importance of service dogs and epilepsy awareness.

@embracingecho

It’s quite embarrassing to post this but I think it’s good advocacy for Epilepsy During this video, Echo brought preventative medication but it was too late An “aura” had presented and I was beginning to enter a seizure. Echo barked to alert that a big seizure was happening. He laid on my body to prevent dislocations. During seizures, I have no idea what’s happening. Echo is the reason for my safety and independence when I’m alone or in public. My seizure became a little more aggressive but he stayed regardless and im proud of him. I had to cut the video quite a bit because the seizure was longer and the video was over 3 hours. #seizureawareness #servicedog #epilepsy #seizureresponse #assistancedog #seizurealertdog

♬ what was I made for? – Instrumental – Wheeler

Service dogs are often celebrated for their remarkable training and adorable antics, but have you ever wondered what they do during a real medical crisis? Jamie Simpson, known as @embracingecho on social media, provides an eye-opening glimpse into the serious, and potentially life-saving, role her service dog, Echo, plays in her life.

Simpson, who lives with epilepsy and postural tachycardia syndrome, a condition that affects her heart rate, regularly shares videos of Echo. While most of her content is light-hearted, she felt it was important to show the world that Echo’s work is not all fun and games.

Simpson recalls feeling a “tingling sensation” in her neck, a sign that something was amiss. Echo, recognizing the warning signs, immediately sprang into action. “When she began having a seizure, Echo “did everything he was taught to do” in an emergency,” Simpson shared.

During the seizure, Echo first brought over Simpson’s medication. He then lay on top of her to “prevent dislocations” and stop her from falling off the couch.

“Seizures are not something I can really predict. I might get an aura, also known as a partial seizure, a couple of seconds before. But even that’s rare,” Simpson explained. “My feet and arms started to feel numb, and his barking only confirmed my fear.”

“Echo alerts before seizures, and typically, I can take rescue medication beforehand. This time, a seizure came all too fast. When I woke up, I had no recollection of any of it, and I still have no memory of what happened during the grand mal seizure. Echo was the only individual thinker in the room at the time, and I couldn’t be more proud of him,” she added.

Epilepsy, a brain disorder that can cause seizures, affects approximately 3.4 million people in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The exact way dogs can detect a seizure remains a mystery, but it’s believed they may recognize a specific scent or learn the behavioral patterns that occur during a seizure.

Service dogs like Echo are trained to perform various tasks to assist their handlers. These tasks can include using an alarm or device, barking to alert family members, bringing a drink or medication, or bringing the phone to contact help once the seizure is over. They can also prevent injuries by standing between their handlers and the floor in case they fall.

Simpson admitted that sharing the video was a difficult decision, but she felt it was necessary for “the advocacy it might give for service dogs and epilepsy.”

Since she posted the video on February 20, it has been viewed more than 29.9 million times and received over 3 million likes on TikTok. Users praised her for her transparency and courage.

“When I posted the video, I was hesitant. I felt that I looked so odd and that I’d be judged, but as the responses flooded in, I was in tears. I felt validated and thought of the impact sharing such a vulnerable moment would have on others,” she shared.

Simpson was moved by messages from parents of epileptic children and fellow epileptics thanking her for sharing her perspective and advocating for epilepsy awareness. “The video opened up a realm of topics that I never knew needed to be discussed with the world,” she said.

She had no idea her content could have such an impact, but now she aims to continue advocating and raising awareness. “It’s so easy to think that your single voice doesn’t have an impact, but it does, and the response to that video is proof,” she added.

Echo, the hero of the story, also received his fair share of praise. One commenter wrote, “I cried not only [because] of your situation but the fact that your dog making sounds worriedly & sounding like he’s begging for [your] suffering to stop.”

Another added, “Thank you so much for sharing this!”

“As an epileptic myself, it always hurts to see someone have a seizure. I’m so glad you have such an incredible guardian,” a user commented.

This story is a testament to the incredible bond between humans and their service dogs, and a reminder of the vital role these dogs play in the lives of those they serve.

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