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1 year ago
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A family dog is being hailed a hero for saving the life of a 17-year-old Texas boy experiencing a stroke.
Amanda and Daines Tanner were woken by a one-year-old border collie named Axel at 5am in the early morning of a Saturday in August and led to their son Gabriel's bedroom, where they found him slurring his words.
Gabriel was rushed to the emergency room before severe brain damage occurred and is now undergoing physical and speech therapy.
Amanda told DailyMail.com that Gabriel is recovering well - thanks to Axel.
'Therapy has helped quite a bit with all of his recovery,' she said.
'His speech is still the hardest to recover fully, and most people can tell something is wrong, but all other functions affected are pretty well. On its way to full recovery.'
A family dog is being hailed a hero for saving the life of a 17-year-old Texas boy experiencing a stroke in the early morning of a Saturday in August. Pictured is Gabriel with his heroic dog Axel
Doctors determined that the stroke was caused by an artery tear that delivers blood to the brain, but has since made 'amazing' progress.
The Today Show shared the incredible story, where the Tanners explained they first thought Axel needed to go outside.
But when Daines opened the door, Axel urged him to Gabriel's room.
'I would have never thought a teenager could have a stroke and would have thought he needed more sleep if anything had Axel not alerted us to the issue,' Amanda told DailyMail.com.
Sabih Effendi, a neurosurgeon who treated Gabriel, said the boy may never have recovered if Axel had not awakened the family in time.
Amanda (right) and Daines (left) Tanner were woken by a one-year-old border collie named Axel at 5 am and led to their son Gabriel's bedroom, where they found him slurring his words
Gabriel was rushed to the emergency room before severe brain damage occurred and is now undergoing physical and speech therapy
'Without that early notification of him getting to the hospital, you really would have had really permanent deficits that would have made him really nonfunctional and unable to live life,' Effendi told The Washington Post.
Gabriel is a senior in high school who is also the goal for the soccer team.
The healthy young man was taking school pictures, he is set to graduate next year, hours before the stroke hit.
He felt a numbness in his arm early that Saturday, went downstairs and fell on the floor before walking back up to his room.
Not thinking anything was severely wrong, Gabriel returned to his bedroom - but Axel had a feeling something was not right.
The dog parked in front of Gabriel's room until the young man's father checked on him.
'I wish I knew what was going through his mind to know and wake us up,' Amanda told DailyMail.com.
Gabriel is on the road to recovery less than two months after his stroke and walked out of the hospital on September 9
Doctors determined that the stroke happened sometime overnight, and his mother realized how much time he would have gone without treatment if Axel had not intervened.
Amanda said Gabriel and two of his brothers were baptized at church the first week he was back from the hospital.
'This first week of Gabriel being home was amazing, yet with many hurdles to conquer, many visits to doctors, papers to fill out for school, therapy, etc...etc... it's a new world for us,' Amanda shared on September 17.
'But God had a plan for Sunday all along.'
Gabriel is on the road to recovery less than two months after his stroke and walked out of the hospital on September 9.
He is taking classes from a homebound teacher and partaking in physical and speech therapy.
Axel, whom the Tanners had rescued, is now tasked with following Gabriel everywhere.
'He's now sleeping with Gabriel more, and Gabriel's doors are open so he can go in and out,'' said Amanda.
'He's always been very sensitive to everything and everybody's emotions at home.'
