A black Labrador service dog in Wellington, New Zealand comforted his 9-year-old autistic owner while undergoing MRI scans, according to ktvu.
James Isaac, the autistic child, started having seizures and was taken to Wellington Children's Hospital. His service dog, Mahe, was right by his side the whole time, lying next to him while James was under general anesthesia.
Michelle Isaac, James' mom, noticed Mahe's reaction while James slept. She watched the dog nuzzle his nose against James' face, according to stuff.co.nz.
"He was just looking at James, and looking really worried."
Issac waited in the hospital cafe for the scan to finish with Mahe by her side, keeping her calm.
"I was really shaken," Isaac said. "It was pretty stressful watching James struggle."
Life for the Issac family was very difficult before Mahe joined the family more than two years ago. James was likely to run off in public when he was in an unfamiliar or over-stimulating environment. Now, with Mahe around, James stays calm everywhere he goes. "We couldn't even go to a cafe as a family. James would get very anxious and want to leave immediately. But when we got Mahe, James would just sit there waiting for us to finish our coffee."
Not only does Mahe keep James calm, but he also stops him from running off. When out in public, James is attached to Mahe with a tether. When James begins to stray off or start running, Mahe sits down and doesn't move, stopping James from moving.
The Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust trained Mahe for six months to help children with autism. The trust also trains puppies for other disabilities including diabetes, cerebral palsy and others. Mahe was picked for autism training because of his calm behavior.
"There is such a magic that happens between a child with autism and the dogs. They just calm the kids down," said Wendy Issacs, the Trust's funding development manager. "The kids will maintain eye contact with the dog, but often not with their own parents and siblings."
If James' seizures continue, Mahe will also be trained to pick up early signs of the seizures and whine or bark to alert the parents, she said.
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