Tucker is excited for all of the places Emily will go.

Emily and Tucker

Emily is a college senior in Alabama. She’s about to graduate, and she’s considering grad school. And soon, she’ll be marrying her fiancé. Those things didn’t come easily for her. She has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It’s a connective tissue disorder which affects her joints. On top of that, a few years ago she found out that she has epilepsy. She credits her ability to pursue her goals to her service dog, Tucker.

 

“I call him my fur angel.”

-Emily

 

Tucker was originally trained for Emily’s mobility and stability issues brought on by her diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos. But after getting Tucker, he began to signal before Emily’s seizures.

 

“He started picking up on my seizures. And he wasn’t trained for that. Tucker taught himself, somehow, to detect them.”

-Emily

 

Emily is so grateful for all of the amazing things Tucker has been able to do for her. She credits him with giving her a more normal college experience, and a more confident life experience. Tucker has been as big a part of Emily’s life as anyone else. He’s helped her accomplish some huge things.

 

“I don’t think I’d be graduating from college if I didn’t have Tucker in my life. I think I’d be stuck at home in my room if it wasn’t for him.”

-Emily

 

As Emily looks forward to her upcoming graduation and marriage, she might imagine what her life will be like. One thing that’s sure is that Tucker will be nearby no matter what happens. More dogs like Tucker are coming out of Service Dogs Alabama every year, and it’s our privilege to help them bring more Tuckers to the world.

Learn more about Service Dogs Alabama.
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