Colorado veteran says dog saved his life while he was sleeping
Veteran Hank Ford was awoken by his service dog Tommy early one morning and ended up being rushed to the hospital where doctors said he could have suffered a massive stroke if Tommy didn't notice something was off.
By Gabriela Vidal
Click here for updates on this story
FORT LUPTON, Colorado (KCNC) — It’s out on the Coyote Creek Golf Course in Fort Lupton, where you might catch a glimpse of Hank Ford, riding the links in his golf cart while serving as the course’s Marshall.
Ford, however, is never on the course alone.
“He gets me out of my own mind, said Ford.
He’s referring to his 3-year-old service dog, Tommy.
“When he showed up, it was an instant bond. It was fast,” said Ford.
It’s a pairing the Army and Marine Corps veteran never knew would be the key to changing his life.
“I’ve got 20 years in the military, 11 years active, and the rest of it was reserves,” said Ford. “Then, I was a lieutenant down at the penitentiary in Florence, so the prison… it just took a toll on me.”
Ford struggled for years with PTSD following his service.
“I was in Desert Storm, I was in Bosnia when it first broke out, and I was in Operation Iraqi Freedom,” said Ford. “With the stress levels after my last tour in Iraq, I actually lost my job and was forced into retirement.”
Tommy put his life back on course.
“He wasn’t the light at the end of the tunnel. He was the light,” said Ford. “It was a dark place, and he turned it on, and he just completely turned my life around.
It’s now been two and a half years since Dogs Inc. connected Ford with Tommy.
The organization helps train and provide service animals to people who need them most, including veterans.
“Our bond is just so strong,” said Ford.
This past February, he would find out how strong.
“He is my hero. [It] kind of chokes me up,” said Ford.
Ford says it was around 5:30 a.m., after his wife went to work, when Tommy started barking, pawing, and jumping on Ford to wake him up.
“I was like, ‘Leave me alone, I’m fine, I just wanna sleep,’ but he wouldn’t give up, so I’m like, OK, maybe he’s got to go to the bathroom,” said Ford. “I get up top, and all of a sudden I noticed that I’m like dizzy, I’m lightheaded, I’m really weak. But I get to the door to let him out, and he won’t go.”
Tommy kept hitting Ford’s chest, so Ford tried to check his heart rate and quickly realized it was higher than normal.
He rushed to the hospital.
“The docs said, with how bad my afib was, that I wouldn’t have woken up or I would’ve had a massive stroke,” said Ford.
Ford says the doctors had to shock his heart rate back into rhythm.
Through it all, Tommy stayed by his side.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
