Hero hearing dog saves Staffordshire man's life after alerting deaf owner to fall down stairs

A deaf gran says her hero hearing dog saved her husband's life after he fell down the stairs- by telling her something was wrong by jumping on the bed.

Sandra Donally, 62, was alerted by her clever pooch Storm after husband Gary tumbled downstairs in the middle of the night and was left lying unconscious in a pool of blood.

She had been fast asleep when Storm suddenly leapt onto her bed shortly after midnight startling her awake.

Sandra noticed the landing light was on and realised husband Gary was nowhere to be seen.

At first, she assumed he had gone to the bathroom and expected Storm to settle into the warm spot he'd left behind.

But she said her dog's strange behaviour immediately set alarm bells ringing.

Sandra, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, said: "She just sat ramrod straight at the other end of the bed, staring out towards the landing.

"I told her that Gary was in the bathroom and asked her to go back to bed, but she wouldn’t move.

"Eventually I said I’d go and find him.”

Moments later, Sandra was horrified to discover Gary lying crumpled at the ground - with his legs facing upwards and his body curled around the bottom of the staircase.

His head smashed into the banister post with such force that his teeth left clear bite marks in the wood leaving him with extensive facial injuries.

Sandra had previously registered for the 999 text service but was shaking so badly she couldn't send a message.

Instead, she desperately called son Tom, who lives nearby.

Paramedics rushed Gary to Royal Stoke Hospital, where doctors discovered the full extent of his shocking injuries.

He had fractured both eye sockets in two places, broken both cheekbones and shattered both sides of his jaw.

The impact was so severe he also lost part of his jaw and several teeth.

Gary spent a week sedated while medics battled to reduce swelling and assess the damage before carrying out reconstructive surgery.

He remained in hospital for 24 days before finally being allowed home in August.

Sandra added: “The staff were wonderful and did an awesome job of putting him back together.”

The couple later worked out that Gary had come out of the bathroom, missed his footing and fallen down the stairs.

Sandra said the last thing he remembers is reaching for the handrail, missing it and thinking: “That’s it. I’m done for.”

Sandra said she couldn't bear to imagine what might have happened if Storm had not alerted her and believes the pooch saved his life.

She added: “If she’d come over to me for a cuddle like she usually does, I would’ve thought Gary was in the bathroom and I’d have gone back to sleep.

"When she wouldn’t look at me, I knew something was wrong.

“We usually get up at half past six, so that’s when I would’ve noticed Gary wasn’t in bed.

"If he’d lain there for six hours, losing blood and with a broken jaw, I can’t bear to think what might’ve happened.

"I’ll always be so grateful to her for alerting me.

"I’m convinced she saved his life.”

Sandra lost her hearing very suddenly in 2017 due to a rare disorder that causes benign tumours to damage the nerves in the ear. 

She was partnered with Storm in 2024.

She added: “She is, quite simply, wonderful. I’m enjoying life again.

"Friends and family say they can see how much more carefree I am – I can't believe how much she has changed my life. 

“Before Storm arrived, I couldn’t relax at home.

"Any unexplained noise and I was off trying to locate it

“I would even jump when a family member walked into the room.  

“Sometimes, I’d think I’d heard a knock at the door, but there would be no one there.

“Previously, I found busy places very off-putting. Lots of noise and movement caused sensory overload – I couldn't think properly and my instinct was to escape.

"So, it was often simpler to stay at home quietly by myself. I lived my life in the shadows. 

“I don't feel withdrawn anymore; I'm out and about and it’s great. I'm happier to start conversations because I have Storm by my side.

"I’ve got to know so many people with dogs at our local park now.

"It gives my day such a boost. In fact, I feel quite cheated if there’s no one in the park to talk to.”