Kate Hegan, a 22-year-old teaching student from Somerset, lives with a constant fear of death due to mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), which causes her to develop new allergies to foods, hormones, bodily processes, smells, temperature changes, and even her sofa. She can currently only eat around 25 foods without risking a life-threatening reaction.
Daily life with MCAS
Kate takes 15 medications daily and pays £1,000 per month for antibody injections not covered by the NHS. Despite these measures, she experiences symptoms such as facial flushing, gastrointestinal issues, extreme fatigue, brain fog, rashes, sore skin, swelling of the eyes, and wheezing. She has had to have conversations with her parents about what to do when she dies, a burden she feels is unfair at her age.
Kenny, the life-saving dog
Her four-year-old black Labrador, Kenny, provided by the charity Medical Detection Dogs, gives her a 10-minute warning before anaphylaxis by pacing, performing tricks, becoming restless, barking, and staring intently. Kenny was originally trained for a different condition, postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), which caused Kate to faint frequently and led to a diagnosis at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
From PoTS to MCAS
Kate's health issues began in childhood with a squint, 50% hearing loss, bladder control problems, easy bruising, and reflex anoxic seizures where her heart would stop for up to two minutes. At 13, she started fainting daily, leading to a diagnosis of PoTS. She had to wear protective headgear and be escorted everywhere at school. Her dream of becoming a nurse was shattered.
A new lease on life
With Kenny's help, Kate has been able to attend university and is about to graduate as a primary school teacher. She says, "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." She credits Kenny with giving her a reason to live, stating, "I couldn't see the point in living anymore before he came to me. He's shown me there is something to live for."
