"A split second in August 2006 changed my life forever...
I was happily playing, when with a sudden scream, I was a paralysed heap on the ground. An MRI Scan revealed that I had suffered a severe spinal haemorrhage, totally paralysing both my back legs and tail also rendering me doubly incontinent. The prognosis was bleak and the hospital advised that I should be put to sleep. .
•My mum said that life without me was inconceivable. She said that I had brought her much joy in my three short years and she owed me a "chance" so she brought me home.Our first port of call, was a company called Dog Mobile who fitted me with a disability cart so I could get out and about. Consequently however, my mum was frustrated by the lack of support offered to such a case as mine, as the general consensus of opinion was to “let me go” as I was so badly paralysed.I had always loved to swim, so with fingers firmly crossed my mum contacted a Hydrotherapy Centre.
That is when we met Kate Wickins the Centre’s Hydrotherapist.Kate welcomed me with open arms, no negative vibes, no negative looks.
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Emotions ran high as Kate lowered me on a hoist into the water and tears were shed as I swam around having fun.In the ensuing weeks, Kate swam me regularly and gave mum advice on how to deal with my incontinence and showed us physio exercises to practice at home. Kate gave us HOPE and my long journey to recovery had begun. Hydrotherapy transformed my life.
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However, it took a very short time to exceed the "complementary medicine" threshold on my insurance and due to my mum's dedication to my progress, she took the decision to install my own Hydrotherapy Unit, so I could swim every day and
WAG & PADDLE was born.
Although I still cannot walk unaided, I now have muscle tone and my back legs are getting stronger daily. I can now walk almost normally in my mobility cart (and keep up with the best of them) and my tail is strong, giving me balance but best of all -
