Life-saving pooch inspires Great Cornard family fun day in aid of Medical Detection Dogs charity
For many people, dogs are the ultimate companion – but for Nadine Green, hers is literally a life-saver.
Multiple times a day, the Great Cornard resident is alerted when her body’s cortisol levels are too low by her specially-trained cockapoo Molly, to ensure she takes her medication when needed.
“Molly is amazing,” Nadine told Suffolk News. “I wouldn’t be here without her.”
Now looking to help others, Nadine and her family have organised a special family fun day at The Stevenson Centre on Saturday, from 10am to 4pm, to raise money for Medical Detection Dogs (MDD).
The charity helps to train canines to identify medical conditions in their owner when at home or out and about – through changes in their scent – and then alert them so they can address it.
It was MDD who first connected Molly with Nadine, who has adrenal insufficiency, a life-threatening disorder which means the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol.
The date of the family fund-raiser is particularly poignant as it will be exactly one year since Nadine was taken into hospital on September 6, 2024, and treated in intensive care.
She was so ill that doctors placed her on an enforced ‘do not resuscitate’ order as they thought she would not survive – but she says having Molly by her side in hospital gave her strength to pull through.
Back at home, Nadine explained that she has gone from being bed bound to living a full life and enjoying time with family and friends, thanks to Molly and MDD.
“Molly saves my life three or four times a day,” said Nadine, who is a permanent wheelchair user, having broken over half of her vertebrae, her sternum and her pelvis.
“She is trained by scent to tell when my body changes. She is with me 24 hours a day and, once she smells that change, she gets up from whatever she is doing, whether it’s eating or sleeping, to alert me.
“She tends to lick my face. She stares at me, almost frowning, and acts quite stern, until I go to my medical fridge. If I don’t go right away, she almost pushes me along.
“I go to the fridge, or get help from my family or my nurses, and have my cortisol top-up, and then Molly gets a reward. She really is a star.
“There aren’t many dogs that can do this, so MDD really needs help to train these dogs.
“Each dog costs about £29,000 to train to this amazing standard, so the more we can raise, the better.”
Anyone unable to attend the event on Saturday can instead donate to the cause online at medicaldetectiondogs.enthuse.com/pf/nadine-green.
The event, which is free to enter, will include inflatables, a dog competition, dance shows, craft stalls, sand art, children’s games, food and drink, and a prize raffle.