For the past five years, Jancis Taylor has been helping to change lives.
She does this via the training of assistance dogs, as an instructor with the national Support Dogs charity, which trains and provides these incredible dogs to help autistic children, as well as those living with epilepsy or a physical disability.
The charity’s disability assistance programme helps people with a wide range of challenging conditions, including Multiple Sclerosis (MS), to live safer, more independent lives.
But Jancis has more understanding of the condition than most – she was diagnosed with MS seven years ago.
She shared her experience ahead of World MS Day, on Sunday, May 30, which focuses on accurate and early diagnosis.
The 35-year-old was diagnosed after three years of being monitored following an incident where the right-hand side of her face became numb.
Jancis was referred to hospital by her GP and, following a scan, what was initially thought to have been a mini-stroke was confirmed as MS.
But Jancis has not let her condition affect her ability to do her job.
She said: “I have the condition, but it doesn’t define me, and I am able to manage it.
“I don’t have very good dexterity, for instance, and I have days were I’m more uncoordinated than others. It affects my writing and I do have off-balance moments. Although there are little things that I can’t do, I try not to let it affect me.”
She added that another symptom is that when she’s walking her own dogs, she can get ‘drop foot’, which is where a disruption between the nerve pathway and the brain can cause the foot to catch or drag along the ground.
Jancis says: “I do get frustrated and annoyed at myself because I can’t do things I want to, but I’m also conscious that it may affect someone else with MS differently. Quite a lot of our clients have MS and some are aware of my condition.”
Support Dogs’ disability assistance dogs help with a wide range of tasks tailored to clients’ needs, such as dressing and undressing, loading and unloading the washing machine, opening doors and raising the alarm. They enable clients to lead more independent, active and safer lives.
Jancis explains: “Understanding the huge difference these dogs can make to people living with MS, really helps to motivate me and I strongly encourage anyone struggling with the symptoms of MS to look into whether a support dog would be a good option for them.”
She added that it also helps to talk about her condition.
Fiona Marshall, who has MS and recently qualified as a Support Dogs partnership with her pet Labrador, Gromit, said: “I find it quite reassuring to confide in Jancis – it’s like we can compare notes.”
To find out more Support Dogs’ disability assistance programme, please visit www.supportdogs.org.uk or call 0114 2617800.
