A woman who lives with chronic illness captured the incredible moment her service dog faced his greatest fear to get her to safety during a medical emergency.
For the last 14 years, Alexa, 35, has lived with several health conditions, including Crohn’s disease, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), heart arrhythmia, endometriosis, and chronic vestibular migraines. These illnesses have a dramatic effect on her ability to perform everyday tasks, impacting her work and personal life.
Thankfully, Alexa, of California, has Otti the 5-year-old service dog to alert her to any sudden changes, such as heart rate and oxygen levels. Alexa told Newsweek that the Great Dane is her hero and she is “in complete awe of his intelligence.” He puts her safety and well-being first—even above his own terrifying fears.
“He will let me know something is wrong by pawing me, and then he will lead me to a seat to prevent syncope (fainting),” Alexa said. “He will then apply pressure to my legs, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, resulting in lowered heart rate. If I do end up fainting, he will nudge and lick me to bring me to consciousness.”
Alexa captured a video of Otti’s work in action, showing how he got her to sit down during a POTS and heart arrhythmia episode. The footage shows the Great Dane refusing to let his owner walk down the stairs because he knew she was struggling before she did. He had never done that before, but Alexa knew better than to ignore Otti’s guidance.
“I kept trying to coax him, but he refused. He turned around and led me to a chair in the lobby. I used my pulse oximeter to check what he was concerned about and saw that my heart rate had jumped up to 131 beats per minute (BPM). Otti alerted me, and I finally sat down. He continued to lick me so I wouldn’t pass out,” Alexa said.
She continued: “I tried to get up and leave a few times, but he kept bringing me back to the chairs. I couldn’t figure out why he was so persistent until he alerted me again, and my pulse oximeter showed that my oxygen level had dropped to 89. I felt extremely dizzy, and Otti sat with me for a while longer until I felt better. I got up to leave, and he did the unthinkable—he led me over to the elevator.”
It remains unclear why elevators are Otti’s “biggest fear,” but he has been afraid of them ever since Alexa got him. They don’t encounter them often, and Otti tries to avoid them if possible. He had never voluntarily got into an elevator until this day.
Otti recognized that walking down the stairs would exacerbate Alexa’s heart rate, which was already high, due to the physical exertion. This would put her at risk of fainting or falling down the stairs, making the elevator a much-safer option.
Raising awareness for chronic illness is hugely important for Alexa, who often documents her experiences on social media (@sicksadgirly on TikTok). She posted a video showing Otti facing his fear of elevators just to help her, and the clip has gone viral with more than 5.9 million views and over 764,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
The bond Alexa shares with Otti is one of deep trust and gratitude, as he gives her a level of independence she could only dream of. She told Newsweek that they have “a beautiful partnership” and she appreciates everything he does for her.
“Otti is incredibly silly, rambunctious, and playful when he’s off duty. His favorite thing in the world is to rip apart cardboard boxes. But, when he’s working, he is very serious and focused. He is my best friend, and I am incredibly grateful for the independence he has given me. I feel so safe knowing he is next to me,” Alexa continued.
By highlighting her experiences on social media, Alexa hopes to shine a light on the impeccable work of service animals, while also making people aware of invisible illnesses. People may not see Alexa as disabled at first, but Otti is nonetheless a working dog and should not be distracted or treated as an ordinary pet.
Since the footage of Otti’s bravery went viral, it has amassed over 3,900 comments on TikTok so far. One comment reads: “bravery is not the absence of fear, bravery is DOING IT SCARED.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Dogs are so incredibly intelligent, you have the most amazing little friend.”
A third person replied: “Service dogs don’t get enough credit. He chose you over himself. What an incredible dog.”
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