A three-year-old Labradoodle has helped Heidi Robinson turn her life around.
But Rolo is more than a bundle of fluff with gorgeous eyes and the best nose going! He’s helped his owner Heidi, who has ME, fibromyalgia and Long Covid symptoms, get back into the world again – after being trained to help her remain independent in her own home.
Before becoming ill with a range of debilitating health conditions, Heidi was a busy mum to three young children, worked as a hairdresser and kept horses.
“I was really active – motorcycling, horses, you name it, I was doing it,” said the 52-year-old, who lives in Ripley, Derbyshire.
But the first signs of ill health struck 15 years go when she suffered a loss of balance and had trouble walking in a straight line. Horse riding became difficult when she thought her saddle was slipping off and she struggled to mount.
Her GP carried out a test and suspected Heidi had a brain tumour. She wasn’t allowed to drive home from the surgery, and her husband David had to collect her.
A few days later, as she waited for an emergency referral to hospital, she suffered speech loss and couldn’t use the left side of her body. After NHS MRI scans proved inconclusive, a private scan revealed Heidi had damage on the neural pathways at the front and base of her brain.
“There was nothing they could do,” said Heidi. “I had to crack on and build my strength up.”
Eventually, she was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
But Heidi was determined it was not going to beat her. “If I let it be a problem, it was going to stop me, whereas if I thought if I fought it, it wasn’t going to take over my life,” said Heidi, who also has depression and anxiety.
All photos of Heidi with her support dog Rolo were taken by Gill Batson/Batsonelli Photography
However, her condition – coupled with not being able to get out of bed some days due to her ME and shortness of breath from long Covid – worsened. Medics started telling her to take it easy.
“I wasn’t going out and had lost all my confidence. I didn’t want to walk or drive anywhere on my own.”
After the family’s pet dog Luna gave birth to Rolo, Heidi looked into having him trained to help her with practical tasks.
“I need him really for support,” said Heidi, who has three grandchildren.
“I thought if he could come with me, then that would make me get out and do things and go to the shop.”
She looked online and discovered Support Dogs’ disability assistance programme, from which the pair recently graduated, following a year of training.
Now Rolo picks up items Heidi drops, such as her car keys, loads and unloads the washing machine, helps Heidi to get undressed and fetches the post.
He even accompanies her to medical appointments, giving her added confidence and reassurance.
“My confidence in myself had disappeared – I just didn’t want to be around people at all,” said Heidi. “But Rolo has helped me get back to being a bit more like my old self. He does get attention, which I now embrace. It’s brought me out of my shell.”
She added: “I think Support Dogs are amazing, and the work they do should get more credit. I’m so pleased I did it.”
To find out more about the work of Support Dogs, please visit www.supportdogs.org.uk or call 0114 2617800.