Several years ago, when I was teaching a Parkinson’s bootcamp class for people with young-onset PD, a man in his 50’s asked me if I could modify the workout for someone with Parkinson’s disease with HSP (Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia [basically neuropathy of the lower half of his body]) if he had a service dog to help him. This specific class was meant for very active people who do not fall. Steve explained that he couldn’t feel his feet on the ground (this is a huge fall risk), but he still tried to stay active. Of course, my heart goes out to man and his dog!
To my amazement, the three of us were able to figure out how to complete all of the stations in the bootcamp! Then I started adding in boxing, and he was able to do that as well.
A few years ago I interviewed Steve and Jack for my blog. Here is Steve’s story from 2016:
“I have Parkinson’s disease with HSP, and it left me increasingly prone to falling, which wasn’t acceptable to me being an avid outdoorsman.
I was matched with Jack, an American Golden Retriever from a nonprofit “Joys of Living Assistance Dogs”. He’s trained to follow 40 commands from me. He moves items out of my way, opens and closes doors, turns lights on and off, untangles his leash, picks up his own dishes and puts them in the sink, and retrieves items I drop on the floor. He even takes clothing out of the dryer – ‘the only problem is, they come out as wet as they go in. 😋
Jack’s biggest job is to help me stay on my feet. When we walk together, Jack is the ‘counter-weight’. I ground himself by pulling on a short leash attached to the dog’s special harness, and Jack pulls me forward. This gives me freedom to move when I’m trapped inside my own body, unable to take that next step. If I start to fall, Jack will step to the side and pull me back up. If I do fall, the dog is trained to go get help if I don’t stand up within two minutes. Jack also acts as a brace that I can lean on as I rise.
We go everywhere together – kayaking day trips (we both wear lifejackets), airplane rides, and concerts (Jack wears earplugs). I even continued working as a middle school teacher using Jack until I finally had to take an early retirement. Jack has become an integrated, essential part of my functioning self.
In the past I used the safety of water exercise to mitigate my balance issues. Kimberly Berg and her programs have worked with Jack and I to take our workouts to the gym. Between her determination, and Jack and my ingenuity, we have made it work. Kimberly keeps inspiring us, and we keep surprising her. All in all, I think the three of us have created something that can be used for others yet to come”.
Since the interview, Jack the dog retired and went to another home because of his age. This is not usually the case with all service dogs, but since Jack had such a physical job, he had to retire. Steve, after some trials, was matched with his new dog Pisces. Steve moved away, but he and Pisces work and play hard together, including in Steve’s dream woodworking shop.
Click here to watch a Video of Jack in action: https://youtu.be/AVmlqCqcg70
Be sure to read next week’s blog (Part 2) to learn about other assistance dogs and how they help their owners navigate their Parkinson’s disease.