This is Echo — an adorable dog who lives at home with his best friend, Jaime Simpson.
Each day, Echo brings a smile to Simpson’s face simply by being the sweet, lovable companion that he is. But Echo also does more.
Much more.
“He’s a goofy, people-loving dog that loves to surprise you in all the right ways,” Simpson told The Dodo.
Among Echo’s more surprising qualities is his remarkable talent. He’s trained to detect when Simpson is on the verge of having a medical emergency — and to offer her the support and comfort she needs most.
Simpson lives with epilepsy, a condition she is able to control in part thanks to medication — and thanks to Echo. He’s often able to sense in her subtle indications that an episode may be coming on, allowing her to medicate in time.
The other day, however, when Simpson unexpectedly slipped into a seizure while at home on the couch, Echo leapt into action: “[He] brought preventative medication but it was too late,” Simpson wrote. “Echo barked to alert that a big seizure was happening. He laid on my body to prevent dislocations.”
Simpson shared a brief video from that episode to both raise awareness of Epilepsy and to demonstrate the important role Echo plays in her life as more than just a pet:
“When I watched the video after my seizure, I thought, ‘What a good boy,’” Simpson said. “I’m sad he was upset. I was having a seizure, but proud of him for doing everything he was trained to do.”
Due to the physical risks posed by episodes like this, Echo’s ability to sense them and respond when needed makes him nothing short of a lifesaver.
And, at the same time, he makes living so much sweeter.
“Besides the fact that I love him as a companion, I’ve gained so much independence from having him. My family doesn’t have to worry about me as much as they used to. They always make sure I bring Echo because they know he predicts seizures in ways that they can’t,” Simpson said. “He’s also my best friend. I really don’t know what I’d do without him. My life would be so different.”
