Jaz Dangen-Forster with assistance dog Kip who will enable her to have more independence. Photo / Bevan Conley
Jaz Dangen-Forster with assistance dog Kip who will enable her to have more independence. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui teenager Jaz Dangen-Forster is pleading with people to recognise assistance dogs as working animals, not pets.
Jaz is in the process of acquiring Kip, a young dog currently being trained to assist with her medical conditions, and it has highlighted the issues people with assistance dogs can face.
Jaz,17, has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a genetic connective tissue disorder where abnormal collagen causes joints and connective tissue to become loose. She also has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), associated with EDS, which causes an abnormal heart rate.
Since being diagnosed in 2018, regular injections to reduce joint dislocations have been successful and Jaz has had no dislocations for nearly two years. She was able to start being more active and when the Chronicle spoke to Jaz, and her parents Kirsty and John Forster in April 2019 she was having physiotherapy and was on an exercise programme.
However, last year Jaz got "badly sick and lost all independence", forcing her to leave school. She has been having POTS attacks every day and was referred to a cardiologist, resulting in medication to increase her blood pressure, but now more issues have arisen.
"In the last two weeks my stomach muscles have stopped working so I can't eat," Jaz said.
The family is awaiting hospital tests to determine the extent of Jaz's stomach problem and what can be done about it. In the meantime, she is on a liquid diet as she is unable to digest food.
Her medical conditions have had a huge impact on the family, with Jaz now unable to go out independently.
The Forsters had looked at the possibility of getting an assistance dog for her, but at $75,000 it was unattainable. Then they met Pete Gifford, of K9 Search Medical Detection, who trains dogs for a wide range of purposes, including as medical assistance dogs.
A visit to Gifford's Kimbolton premises resulted in an instant connection between Jaz and 11-month-old huntaway/border collie cross Kip, and Jaz is now fundraising to buy Kip. Gifford has offered him to her for $20,000.
The young dog, who was assessed as being too gentle to work on a farm, is still in training with Gifford but a stay with the Forsters over the past week has reassured the family that he will make a great assistant for Jaz and fit in with the household.
"He will do deep pressure therapy for me," Jaz said.
"I get really dizzy and have to sit down - I just flop down wherever I am - so he'll be able to help me. I'll be able to go out by myself instead of mum having to go everywhere with me. He'll give me more confidence to go out more.
"Eventually he'll be able to detect when my blood pressure is dropping or my heart rate is going up."
Jaz Dangen-Forster (centre), her grandmother Lana Williams (left) and mother Kirsty Forster were all diagnosed with the genetic condition, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). Photo / Bevan Conley
Although she's been working with Kip for only a short time, Jaz has already struck several situations where people didn't understand that he was a working dog and wanted to pat him.
"If he's got his jacket on, he's working and people shouldn't distract him because I need him to focus on me in case I have a medical event," Jaz said.
"People understand if a blind person has a dog but assistance dogs can help people with epilepsy or diabetes - just about anyone - and any dog can be an assistance dog."
Mum Kirsty said Gifford and his team had been "wonderful and really supportive towards Jaz".
"We want to get the message out that they are working dogs, not pets. It's like if you went to a farm and wanted to pat the dog when it was supposed to be rounding up sheep - the farmer wouldn't be very happy with that. And a lot of people think of labradors as assistance dogs but it can be any dog with the right temperament.
"Jaz has some really bad days and some really good days. Kip will be important for her independence because she couldn't leave the house without someone going with her."
Kip needs to do more training and mature a little before going to Jaz permanently. In the meantime, she will be out and about with K9 Search Medical Detection buckets to fundraise so she can buy Kip.
