Kate Hegan, a 22-year-old teaching student from Somerset, lives with mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a rare condition that restricts her diet to approximately 25 foods. Any other food, smell, temperature change, or even her own hormones can trigger a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. She takes 14 medications daily to reduce the severity of reactions and previously paid about £1,000 a month for antibody injections not funded by the NHS in her area.
Kenny the Labrador provides a 10-minute warning
Her black Labrador, Kenny, provided by the charity Medical Detection Dogs, alerts her up to 10 minutes before anaphylaxis sets in. Kate told Creatorzine: "He paces up and down, does all the tricks he knows and just becomes very restless. Kenny will talk to me and if he’s really concerned, will let out a bark. He won’t take any touching, toys, treats or anything else while alerting. He really means business - especially when a reaction turns to anaphylaxis - and will give me a 10-minute warning so I can prepare."
Living with constant fear
Kate described the terror of her condition: "Currently, I can only eat around 25 foods without my life being on the line. It's absolutely terrifying, as when I go into anaphylaxis, I’ve got minutes before I’m dead. I’ve had to openly have conversations with my parents about what to do when I die. At my age, I shouldn’t have to be doing that." Despite this, she has grown accustomed to the uncertainty, adding, "Spending each day worrying it might be my last isn’t so bizarre anymore."
A history of unexplained health issues
Before her MCAS diagnosis shortly before her 18th birthday in 2022, Kate struggled with numerous unexplained health problems. She had a squint, 50 percent hearing loss, no bladder control, easy bruising, and reflex anoxic seizures where her heart would stop for up to two minutes. On one occasion, she had 24 seizures in a single day. She also fainted frequently, once falling down stairs and sustaining a concussion and broken wrist. After passing out in science class, she was referred to Great Ormond Street Hospital, where a tilt table test diagnosed her with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), a condition causing an abnormal heart rate increase upon standing.
Kenny restores independence
Kate's life changed when Kenny arrived. She regained independence, returned to university, and is now preparing to graduate as a primary school teacher. She said: "If I could speak to him, I’d want to make sure he knew how invaluable he is. I’ve had reactions where, if it wasn’t for Kenny, I’d be dead. I couldn’t see the point in living anymore before he came to me. He’s shown me there is something to live for."
