I was flying to Knoxville this morning on company business when I saw a woman pre-board my flight with what looked like the biggest service dog I'd ever seen. It was a coal-black New Foundland and if you've ever seen one they are one of the largest breeds of dog imagineable. Well, since she was on one of OUR airplanes (ExpressJet) and it is my very business to train airline employees how to serve passengers with disabilities I introduced myself and gave her my business card. She had Multiple Sclerosis and chose her dog on the basis of strength and stability. It seems she has both balance and stamina issues and her dog (his name is Teddy) serves as a support for her as she travels and apparently she travels a lot. Mind you this is on a smaller regional jet (CRJ200)and holds just 50 passengers so the dog seemed to get a LOT bigger as he settled into the bulkhead seating area. Today, I met a really nice plucky lady and still another task that a service dog can do to help an individual overcome obstacles as they travel. Having these meaningful encounters is the BEST part of my job. Now, if they would just double my pay I would have the perfect job.
You may have heard by now of Aimee Copeland's plight here in my home state of Georgia. A post-grad student, she cut herself accidently on a home-made zip line, got Necrotizing Faschiatis (flesh-eating bacteria) had her left leg amputated at the hip and now will also lose her hands and her remaining right foot. What happens in these cases is the blood flow in such a systemic infection centers around the vital organs ceasing circulation to the extremities which eventually become gangrenous, die, and have to be amputated. She will probably survive but at such a terrible cost. She is only 24 years old. Just another reminder to EVERYONE out there disabled or otherwise: It is an instantly joinable minority.
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