A suppawter with a difference attends League One football match

There’s a special new supporter at Northampton Town Football Club home matches this season – Medical Detection Dog, Nieve.

Nieve is the first ever Medical Alert Assistance Dog to attend matches at the club’s stadium, Sixfields. She is there to keep a close nose on lifelong Cobblers supporter, Emily.

Emily has *MCAS and PoTS** which cause her to collapse suddenly, without warning. Medical Alert Assistance Dog, Nieve, detects a change in her odour when she is about to become unwell, giving her around 20 minutes warning so she can get somewhere safe and avoid injury and hospitalisation.

Until Nieve has been allowed to attend matches, Emily only knew she was about to have an episode as it was happening, and would start to feel really unwell in the stand and go into anaphylaxis with little warning. The episode would escalate very quickly and whoever was at the match with her would have to inject her with her medication in the very public setting and arrange emergency help.

Now, Nieve alerts Emily up to 30 minutes before it is about to happen meaning Emily can calmly leave her seat and find a quiet area in the concourse, take her medication more privately and lay safely until it passes.

Emily and Nieve attended their first match against Burton Albion and Nieve’s early alert about 25 minutes into the game meant she prevented a full episode, allowing Emily to deal with her symptoms and take rescue medication before they escalated. Once her medication had worked and Nieve did some pressure therapy on her legs which lowered her heart rate, Emily was able go back and watch the game just before half time.

Emily says: “During previous matches since I’ve been unwell, it was stressful and embarrassing when I had an episode and I hated the commotion I caused. My husband, brother or sister-in-law would have to administer my medication and I never know whether I was going to be able to get out of the stands in time or what the people around me must think. We were forever having to leave early which was so disappointing.

“With Nieve at the matches, I just feel safe. Instead of worrying about what might happen with my health I can just enjoy the match. My anxiety is so much better and my family say they too can concentrate on the game and enjoy it instead of worrying about me. As lifelong supporters this is just amazing.

“It is really special to have Nieve with me and she takes it all in her stride. I don’t think she is much of a football fan as she takes the opportunity to have a nap which is great as it means she is happy and settled.”
Nieve was trained by the charity, Medical Detection Dogs. Her Instructor, Kim Jones, says: “We are very grateful to Northampton Town Football Club for working with Emily to enable Nieve to safely and comfortably attend matches.

“We’ve built up to Nieve attending a match gradually and worked hard to prepare her for the crowds, sounds and smells.

“The club has removed a seat so there is space for Emily to put a bed down for Nieve and it is easy for them to get out when Nieve alerts. We practiced before there were any supporters in the ground and attended some smaller events in the summer. It was great that during her first proper match she simply lay down and fell asleep until her nose alerted her to an issue with Emily.

“Our dogs not only save lives they, improve lives and enable our clients to regain their independence. It is great that Nieve can help Emily enjoy matches once again.”

Northampton Town Facilities Manager Avril Spraggon said: “We are proud of our reputation as a welcoming club who do what we can to help our supporters enjoy matches at Sixfields. That value is underpinned by the awards we regularly receive for the matchday experience we offer, and we are also proud to be one of the first clubs to be able to welcome a medical assistance dog regularly to our games. We have made some adjustments to make things easier for Emily and Nieve to attend and we are delighted to know that both are able to enjoy matches here at Sixfields feeling safe and welcomed.”

Emily has been attending Northampton Town matches since she was four years old and her Father and brother have both been the club’s dragon mascot, Clarence, in the past.

*Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is a condition that causes mast cells to release an inappropriate amount of chemicals into the body. This causes allergy symptoms and a wide range of other symptoms and in some cases anaphylaxis, a severe allergic condition that can be life-threatening.

**Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) is a life altering and debilitating health condition where the heart rate increases when you change posture from lying to sitting or standing. It is associated with low blood volume and disturbance in the autonomic nervous system and can cause frequent and unexpected collapse, often resulting in injury.