An emotional video of a service dog helping her owner manage a flare-up of her heart condition has led to an outpouring of support across the internet.
The video clip, shared to TikTok, shows Katie Graham putting dishes in her dishwasher at her home, before her postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) symptoms take over. Her service dog Bailey rushes to her rescue, stunning audiences by fetching her phone, medicine and a bottle of water for her owner.
POTS is a medical disorder that causes a person's heart rate to rapidly increase after getting up or sitting down. It can be extremely debilitating for sufferers and can get in the way of them managing daily tasks and errands. According to data from the National Library of Medicine, between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people suffer from the condition in the U.S.
Graham told Newsweek that her service dog Bailey is a 4-year-old Australian shepherd who has been trained to respond to POTS alerts. The pair are based in Atlanta, Georgia and have amassed quite a following online from sharing how they team up to navigate the condition.
The viral video was filmed on a camera placed in the corner of Graham's kitchen, and captures the moment when she sits down after being overcome by the symptoms of POTS while trying to unload her dishwasher.
A caption appears across the screen to narrate all of Bailey's responses to the incident.
"Mom, I can sense you're not okay," Katie writes over the clip, while Bailey rushes to check on her and give her a hug. "Please let your heart catch up, I will help you," she adds.
Bailey then astonishingly goes to retrieve Katie's cell phone, jumps onto the kitchen counter to bring down her medication, and opens the fridge door to collect a bottle of water for her.
New captions across the video narrate the heartwarming sequence of events: "Here's your phone to call for help if you need. Medicine, but it's pushed too far back I won't give up, you need it. Water from the fridge so you can take your medicine. You are not alone, I am here, please stay awake".
After getting all of Katie's emergency supplies to her, Bailey then sits beside her owner and comforts her in her time of need.
"I can tell you're disappointed in yourself, don't be sad," a new caption reads.
"The daily struggle with POTS is often a silent fight," Katie wrote as a caption under the post. "People do not understand how debilitating it is on a daily basis. My condition worsens as I try to just keep my life in order," she added.
What Is POTS?
POTS is one of a group of disorders that have orthostatic intolerance (OI) as their main symptom. That's a condition in which an excessively reduced volume of blood returns to the heart after a person stands up from lying down, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The primary symptom of OI is lightheadedness or fainting. But in POTS, the lightheadedness or fainting is accompanied by a rapid increase in heartbeat of more than 30 beats per minute, or a heart rate that exceeds 120 beats per minute, within 10 minutes of rising. The faintness or lightheadedness of POTS is relieved by lying down again.
Anyone at any age can develop POTS, but it mainly affects women between the ages of 15 and 50. Its cause is unknown.
Fortunately, most patients with POTS improve with treatment or spontaneously. However, many patients may be subject to occasional flares or recurrences of orthostatic symptoms, as seen in Katie's social media post.
Since being shared to the social media platform on February 5 by @ServiceAussieBailey, the TikTok post has been viewed over 18.9 million times and liked by over 2.5 million users. Support has flooded the comments section under the post, with the majority of users commenting on how well-trained Bailey is to have responded to the situation with such efficiency.
"I don't know what POTS is, but I'm glad you have your special baby to watch over you," one user commented under the post.
Another user added: "This hit me right in the feelings. I have POTS as well and it's hard not being able to do basic tasks".
The video, which has stunned TikTok users, can be seen here.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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