Dog helps fix Cumbrian woman's joint dislocations

A woman who uses an assistance dog to help reposition her dislocated joints has called him "transforming."

Sue Holmes, who has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, uses a harness which Vinnie pulls to apply pressure when her joints pop out of place.

The 55-year-old from Cockermouth, who uses a wheelchair, said Vinnie can also get her a drink from the fridge.

She is fundraising so more disabled people can benefit from a trained dog like golden Labrador retriever Vinnie.

Ten years ago Ms Holmes had to leave her career in nursing when her condition started to have an impact on her daily role.

The inherited condition affects the connective tissues supporting her bones.

"What happens is my shoulders, my hips, my knees - any joints can all dislocate without doing much movement at all," she said.

"It got to the stage that I couldn't go on the ward without having my shoulders taped to my body so they didn't dislocate when I was at work.

"Vinnie helps with dislocations.

"He has a special harness I put on and then he pulls in a certain direction and will pull for a certain length of time, until I tell him to stop, and then he'll keep that pressure on until my joint is put back into place.

"He has transformed my life."

Vinnie and Ms Holmes' previous dog were trained by the charity Canine Partners which places about 78 dogs a year with people with complex physical disabilities.

Vinnie's extraordinary nursing skills also include being trained as a diabetic alert dog.

This sees him bark if he smells that his owner's blood sugar levels are getting low.

"It means I can know I've got someone there - I'm less anxious," Ms Holmes said.

"If I have a fall he'll go and get help for me."

She said Vinnie was also able to get her a drink from the fridge.

"He'll go to the fridge and open the door," she said.

"Inside it is a basket with a can of coke in and he'll get the basket, bring it to me and then go back and close the fridge door."

Ms Holmes' father, Bernard Ellis, has spent the past six years building and furnishing a dolls house.

He is selling the four-storey house and the money raised will be donated to the charity which estimates the cost of training each dog to be about £30,000.

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