Get ready for an incredible, real-life drama starring a hero with four paws and a heart of gold! For Hank Ford, a decorated military veteran, life has thrown its share of intense challenges.
But through it all, his steadfast companion, a Labrador service dog named Tommy, has been his rock – and, as it turns out, his literal lifesaver, not once, but twice!
Most mornings, Tommy, Hank’s loyal service dog since pup-hood, knows his human loves to sleep in. But on one particular day, something felt terribly wrong. Tommy, sensing an unseen danger, began his urgent mission. He nudged Hank with his nose, then pawed frantically, finally jumping onto his owner’s body. Get up. Get up. Get up! The message was clear.
Hank, figuring Tommy just needed to go outside earlier than usual, slowly pushed himself up. That’s when it hit him: a wave of light-headedness and wooziness. He opened the door for Tommy, but the dog didn’t budge. He knew his job wasn’t done yet.
At 54 years old, Hank’s condition worsened. He grabbed his blood pressure cuff, and what he saw next was horrifying: his pulse was a staggering 171 beats per minute! A military veteran who’d served over two decades, he immediately called his local veterans hospital.
But unbelievably, they dismissed his readings, assuming the machine was faulty or he’d used it wrong.
But Hank and Tommy both knew better. Driven by his dog’s undeniable urgency, Hank, a resident of Fort Lupton, Colorado, raced himself to the hospital. Minutes later, the diagnosis confirmed their fears.
“They were freaking out about it,” Hank recalled, as doctors confirmed his wildly abnormal vital signs. “It was good that Tommy woke me up.”
Doctors explained that Hank was experiencing AFib – an irregular, rapid heartbeat that causes the heart’s upper chambers to beat out of sync, severely reducing blood flow. This dangerous condition can lead to strokes, or even worse, death.
“Something about the way he woke me up: He hasn’t done it before and he hasn’t done it since,” Hank told Good News Network. Doctors were clear: without Tommy’s intervention, it “more than likely, it would have been a stroke and it would have been a (big) one).”
But this wasn’t Tommy’s first act of heroism for Hank. Years prior, Hank was in a self-described “dark spot.” After decades of selfless military service in high-stress zones like Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Bosnia, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, followed by years in a federal penitentiary, the emotional toll was immense.
He battled a significant case of PTSD, withdrawing from the world, avoiding people, and spending most of his time isolated at home.
His doctors urged him to consider a service dog. After his beloved hunting Labradors passed away, Hank reached out to the Wounded Warrior Project, which connected him with Dogs Inc., a non-profit providing free service dogs to those in need.
The moment Hank and Tommy united, the impact was immediate. “We bonded fast,” Hank shared. “I have had some good connections with dogs, but nothing like what we have.” Tommy quickly learned to pick up on Hank’s emotional cues.
“If you stress out, he will come out and look at you and put his chin on you and be like, ‘Hey, are you okay?’ It was a calming presence. And it was really quick. I was ready to have a dog again, but wasn’t expecting what I got.”
Tommy didn’t just save Hank’s physical life; he helped save him from the silent battles of PTSD, pulling him out of the darkness and back into the light.
This amazing Labrador isn’t just a service dog; he’s a true guardian angel, a testament to the incredible, life-changing power of the human-animal bond.
