When Grace Fox was younger, she led an active life.
A former beauty therapist, she loved to ice skate at her local rink in her spare time.
But when she was 22, she developed an eye problem – which was an early symptom of Multiple Sclerosis.
“I lost part of the vision in my left eye, which I still haven’t got back,” said the 64-year-old from Brighton, whose mum also had MS.
Grace later had two daughters, Adele and Hannah, and was well enough to care for them, but as she got older, she developed problems in both legs and began using a wheelchair 10 years ago.
After her husband William passed away, she found herself feeling increasingly isolated.
That’s when she looked into getting her pet dog, Lucy, trained as a support dog.
Thanks to the national Support Dogs charity, the three-year-old yellow Labrador is opening doors both figuratively and literally for Grace.
Now Grace, who lives with Adele and Hannah, feels a lot less isolated at home, and knows her daughters have peace of mind when they go out to work, assured that their mum is in safe paws.
“Lucy has made a big difference,” said Grace.
“She can help me take off my socks and shoes and another thing she is really good at is touching the footplates on my wheelchair – she knocks them down and I can put my feet up, which otherwise would be really difficult for me to do for myself.”
Lucy can even load and unload the washing machine – another fantastic help to Grace.
She can also pick up and fetch objects, raise the alarm, open and close doors and push access buttons.
“She does fetch help – she can press my Care Link button if I have a fall,” added Grace.
And as well as practically, Lucy is also boosting Grace’s sociability.
Before her MS, which is secondary progressive, Grace loved being around people.
“When I was a beauty therapist, I used to have people come and have home treatments – I was always used to having people around me.
“With my MS, it can be very isolating, especially when I stopped driving.
“But with Lucy, she brings friends – a lot of people come up and talk to us, especially when they see her in her Support Dogs jacket.
“We also take Lucy along to a choir and she loves meeting people there. She also comes to an art group and writing group. She pushes buttons to open doors. She’s also been learning to go to the cinema with me – she comes and sits through the film with me.”
The family got Lucy as a pet when she was just 10 weeks old and tried training her themselves.
But then Grace heard about Support Dogs, a charity, which trains specialist assistance dogs to help autistic children, as well as adults with epilepsy or a physical disability to live safer, more independent lives, and she was so impressed, she applied for training in late 2023.
Grace said: “I saw it in my MS magazine about how wonderful these dogs were and how they could be trained to help you.
“What Lucy has done is given me confidence to help me in many aspects of life.
“I lost my husband and you lose going out with friends and doing things, she’s now given me the opportunity to try and go out by myself and hopefully get on the bus or go in the car.”
The pair began training in November last year and they have recently graduated as a successful Support Dogs partnership.
“I was fit and had no idea I would have problems walking or not be able to do things one day – you have got to do everything you can, when you can,” said Grace.
“I think what Support Dogs does is brilliant.
“It helps disabled people to keep going, to carry on and enjoy life.”
To find out more about the incredible work of Support Dogs, please call 0114 2617800 or visit www.supportdogs.org.uk
