Hailey Ashmore suffers from epilepsy, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, reactive hypoglycemia, severe allergies, gastroparesis, and asthma. The sixteen year old needs her service dog.
She got Flynn when he was just a puppy and they bonded immediately. Flynn is her lifeline.
The pair are always together. Flynn is able to detect when Hailey is about to have a seizure so she can get to a safe location and he can comfort her.
Hailey has a very important message for the public. PLEASE do not pet or approach service dogs. They have very important jobs and should not be distracted.
“The only time somebody should ever approach Flynn and I is if I am unconscious and/or having a seizure,” Hailey said. “Besides that, nobody should try to pet or get near him. I wish people could understand that’s what the giant stop sign patch means. If somebody distracts him, I can get seriously hurt. If you see a service dog in public please educate your children, your friends, your family, anybody else that they are doing a really important job. Thank you.”
Once someone was petting and interacting with Flynn. While he was distracted, Hailey had a seizure.
“I am used to him giving me 10 minute warnings, so when he alerted that’s what I thought I had,” she said. “Out of nowhere I remember the world going black. I woke up with Flynn on top of my legs and my father cradling my head. On the whole left side of my face there was a terrible sting that made me tear up.”
She said her dog has a STOP badge for a reason. Because people should not be interfering with Flynn’s job.
These two are a team. And Flynn is always working. As cute as service dogs may be, they should not be approached. Hailey needs Flynn.
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H/T: Little Things
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