A unique bond: Friends in Need

I'm not old, but I'm not young any more. Middle age seems to have come down over the years. I'm 47, and my dream was when I retired was to get on my bike and just keep riding and see where I ended up. We all have hopes and dreams.

Screen Text: Phil, UK. Living with a stroke.

I had that sort of feeling, "this'll all be OK. I've been ill before." You're not thinking completely straight. It was about losing my family were my initial fears.

Visual Description: Phil, practicing walking along the hospital walls with assistance.

I lost vision down my left side and then I started to lose my speech. My arm wouldn't work, my leg wouldn't work. When I was sent up to a ward after probably about 12 hours of tests, this might be a little more serious

Visual Description: Phil, struggling to push himself up off the floor.

than they thought.

Visual Description: Pictures of Phil and his family begin to show on screen.

A full-blown stroke the day after, it's probably when the emotions hit. My lowest emotional point is planning to take my own life - not seeing that there's any future left. I'd never describe it as a selfish feeling. I don't feel I'm a good father any more.

Visual Description: Phil, in the kitchen with his family.

When I talk about guilt, I feel guilty that I even felt like that. You know, I've got a beautiful family and good friends. I never thought I'd ever have thoughts like that before and I’d feel like I’d failed people even thinking like that. When I was sick, we’d spend a lot of time sitting together and talking. It helps to keep me clam and certainly there’s a sense of love there.

Visual Description: Videos of Phil, his family, and his dog, Vale, begin to show on screen.

What a good counsellor would do is just listen to you, so I feel he's filled that gap at times. Brings balance to my life. I’m not great being split up from the family and I found that difficult, but I didn’t think I’d get so attached to a dog.

Visual Description: Phil and his dog, Vale, spending time together outside.

I think he knows everything. I think he can speak half a dozen languages. He can read. He understands everything that's going on. Being able to get those feelings off and certainly not be questioned. He’s certainly a full member of the family. It’s hard to call him a pet. I think if you haven’t got a purpose in life, you haven’t got anything. And I think he has a purpose. He’s part of the family. He makes it whole. And it’s clichéd about man’s best friend, but it is really true. He’s just such an integral part of the family. I think that’s the special part. Probably about two years ago, he developed what’s called a mast cell tumor on one of his ears. So he had to have that ear amputated. His left ear. Quite an emotional time, certainly being apart from the family. When he was at his lowest, he wasn’t eating, he wouldn’t move, he wouldn’t wake up. But he was there for me when I wasn’t too great, so I like to think I’m there for him as well. I tend just to find somewhere quiet, to find somewhere calm to go. And I do think about the positives in life much more. And I've started to think much more positive about the future, so that, that helps. You can say one purpose in life is to be a good father. I always thought that it was. I’d say without them and certainly without Vale, I wouldn’t be sat here today,

Screen Text: For human and animal health

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