Ex-NHS worker gets his life back as dog helps him dress and pays for shopping
Four-year-old Labrador Charlie also helps Chris Beddoes pick up items from supermarket shelves as he regains his independence
A former NHS worker from Worcestershire has said he’s got his life back now he’s got a dog to help him pay for his shopping, get dressed and pick items up.
Chris Beddoes, was 33 years old when he collapsed while working as a senior healthcare assistant at Worcestershire Royal Hospital – a job he’d had for 16 years.
The dad-of-two, now 41, was left with chronic back pain, and was eventually diagnosed with muscular-skeletal disease.
The devastating condition is inoperable and is causing his spine to crumble away. All medics can do is prescribe painkillers.
Mr Beddoes began using a wheelchair in 2016 and said his home became a virtual prison, as he couldn’t go anywhere on his own.
Even getting dressed was a struggle, and he couldn’t do a lot without the help of his wife or his teenage sons.
But since having his pet dog Charlie trained by national charity Support Dogs, his outlook has greatly improved.
Now Charlie, a four-year-old black Labrador which Chris has nicknamed ‘Charlie Chaplin’, is helping Chris back to independence.
Before Charlie, Chris relied on his wife Clare and sons Jack, 17, and 16-year-old Daniel to do everyday tasks.
But Clare has her own health issues, including autism, anxiety, agoraphobia and curvature of the spine, which made it extremely difficult for Chris to rely on his wife.
“I used to go out in the wheelchair but had to have someone with me and I couldn’t dress myself,” said Mr Beddoes, who lives in Kidderminster.
“It used to be quite frustrating, because I like to go out and do things and be occupied.
“When the lads were at school, it was more difficult to do.
“From being a fully independent, mobile, active person to not being able to work or go out, was quite a shock.”
But that’s where Charlie comes in.
He helps Chris with dressing and undressing, picks dropped items up, lifts his owner’s legs up on to his bed, fetches the post, opens and closes doors and raises the alarm if Mr Beddoes gets into difficulty.
Charlie even pays for things with a debit card, and gets tins, jars and bottles from supermarket shelves.
“Now I go out as much as I can, really,” he added.
“He helps me keep independent. He even goes to church with me.”
Asked whether he could imagine life without Charlie, Mr Beddoes said: “Definitely not. He’s my left arm, my right arm, my left leg, my right leg and everything in between.
“He helps me with absolutely everything.”
He has now praised charity Support Dogs, which has been training dogs to help people to live independently for more than 30 years.
“I think Support Dogs are invaluable, especially the way they train up their own dogs, as well as pet dogs,” he said.
“I really don’t know how they do it all – and it’s all voluntary and all thanks to people giving donations to enable them to do all this exceptional work.
“It’s life-changing, really – being able to go out and do stuff and get that independence back.”