OTYI #45: Meet Mara

Story via Gainesville Times: *Not every animal that assists a disabled person is a Seeing Eye dog. These days, there are dogs trained to help people with all kinds of disabilities. Sometimes the people are in wheelchairs and their condition is obvious. But some have hidden disabilities, and you would never guess that they need assistance. That's the case with Gainesville resident John Ward. A former funeral home director, he has suffered from epilepsy since 1973, when he fell from a two-story building and fractured his skull. For the past eight years, Ward has been accompanied everywhere he goes by Mara, a certified service dog trained by Michigan-based Paws With A Cause.

"She can detect when I'm about to have a seizure, by sensing changes in my body chemistry," Ward said. "She pokes me in the leg to let me know." There is no way to prevent a seizure. But at least Ward can make sure he's in a safe place when it happens. Then Mara does something that is quite extraordinary. She goes to the nearest person, attracts their attention and tries to persuade them to follow her back to Ward. If the first person does not respond, Mara is trained to go to the next person, and to keep trying until she finds someone who is willing to help. But it's hard for many people to understand why someone with epilepsy would need a canine helper. Unlike the guide dog who wears a harness and pulls a blind person along, Mara's role is not immediately apparent. This puts Ward in the position of constantly having to justify the dog's presence. "I've sort of jokingly thought of putting on dark glasses (to pretend to be blind)," he says.*

MP3: Mogwai - Helps Both Ways