The 24-year-old has Scheuermann's Kyphosis, which is an excessive curvature of the spine, and uses a walking stick or wheelchair.
She is studying forensic psychology at Bath Spa University, but has been on a break from her degree for the past two years, due to her condition getting worse and Elie-Mai losing confidence to go out alone.
But since having Bleddyn, her pet Labrador, trained as a specialist disability assistance dog by the national Support Dogs charity, Elie-Mai has been given the confidence to go back to her studies.
“Before having him trained, I wouldn’t be able to go out on my own. I was always having to have someone on the end of the phone constantly, or not go out at all,” said Elie-Mai.
“But I don’t feel nervous any more about going to university, with my condition getting worse, knowing he will be with me.”
With Bleddyn by her side, she recently boarded a train from her home, in the Ashton Gate area of Bristol, to Chelmsford – something she hadn’t done since before having an operation on her spine in 2019.
“I was very anxious previously and it’s something I wouldn’t have done before – I would have just relied on lifts or driving myself,” said Elie-Mai, who had worried about falling, being jostled into by crowds, that there would be nowhere to sit, or missing the train.
But now Bleddyn has been trained to give an alert bark and fetch help if she falls.
“I’m trying to get more out of my comfort zone and having Bleddyn trained as a support dog has given me a lot more confidence,” added Elie-Mai.
Elie-Mai was born with Scheuermann's Kyphosis but wasn’t diagnosed until 2012, despite complaining about back pain from the age of seven.
Despite being active as a youngster, dancing in competitions, playing hockey and netball and taking part in athletics, she was told surgery was inevitable, to avoid irreversible paralysis.
She underwent eight-hour thoracic spinal fusion surgery in 2019. But post-op, her balance never improved and she needed a walking stick.
In January this year, after her fourth acute paralysis episode and following hospitalisation, she was also diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and started using a wheelchair more often.
She got Bleddyn as a pet around four years ago, suggested by relatives as she fell into a depression due to her condition, and they thought looking after him would encourage her to start looking after herself.
Later, as her condition worsened, a friend suggested she send Bleddyn to be trained by Support Dogs, which trains and provides specialist assistance dogs to help autistic children, as well as adults with epilepsy or physical disability, so she applied at the start of 2023.
Two years on, Bleddyn is a fully-qualified support dog and has been trained to pick items up for her, helps her get dressed and undressed, opens and closes doors, pulls her washing basket around, loads and unloads the washing machine and dryer, fetches her walking stick, keys and phone, has an alert bark and is trained to find help, such as from Elie-Mai’s partner, Max.
“It means everything to me to have Bleddyn’s help,” said Elie-Mai. “It’s made me feel so much more confident about going out and doing things independently.”
Elie-Mai, who wants to work with criminals or with neurodivergent young people to prevent them leading a life of crime, added: “I think it’s incredible, the amount of people Support Dogs helps, as well as the amount of confidence it gives people with disabilities and how lovely everyone is. I’m so grateful for the charity.”
To find out more about the life-changing work of Support Dogs, please visit www.supportdogs.org.uk or call 0114 2617800.