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Millie Webb, nine, suffers from refractory epilepsy, a type of epilepsy whose seizures cannot be controlled by medication.
The seizures, however, are constant and severe enough that patients who suffer from this condition may be forced to live with a lower quality of life. Doctors are uncertain of how to best treat patients with refractory epilepsy.
For Millie, some of her seizures are unpredictable, but others are triggered by heightened emotions, like laughter or happiness. This means, on an average day, Millie can experience approximately 50 seizures. She has tried over 12 different types of medication, but none of them have been effective.
Her parents, Stuart and Linda, fear for Millie’s life.
“Having lots of fun, such as having a fantastic time playing with her friends at a party, and laughing can trigger a seizure,” Stuart explained.
“When she was younger it was easier as she didn't want to be out and about but now she wants to play out in the streets with her friends and live life to the full. Sometimes we just want her to sit and watch TV but she loves the outdoors and wants to be outside with her friends on her bike and her roller skates.”
In the past, Millie’s seizures have occurred when she was playing with friends, attending birthday parties, or even playing in the family pool.
What Millie’s parents realized, though, was that their one-year-old dog, Elmo, could predict when Millie was about to have her next episode.
As Millie was sleeping on the couch one day, Elmo leaped onto the cushions next to her and refused to stop licking the girl’s face – even when Stuart and Linda tried to pull her off. Just moments later, Millie’s seizure began.
Since then, Stuart and Linda have been encouraging Elmo to follow Millie around the house to keep her safe.
So far, Elmo has pulled Millie out of a paddling pool when she began to have a fit, rushed to her side upon hearing the wailing noises Millie makes while in a seizure, and licked her face to help stimulate her to wake her up.
Stuart and Linda are now hoping to better train Elmo, so he can signal and warn them before Millie has one of her episodes. “Elmo doesn't need to be trained in how to pick up on seizures, she already has that, she just needs the proper training to alert us,” Linda explained.
The family is now hoping to raise money to pay for Elmo’s training. You can contribute here.
