Life would be tragic if you had a terrible accident, but you cannot change what has already happened. At this point, the only important thing is to overcome the problem and move on. It can be difficult, but there will be many people and animals who are willing to give a helping hand in times of need.
Joey Ramp was a passionate professional horse trainer until her life was turned upside down in 2006 in a horrific horseback accident. The horrific catastrophe broke her 23 bones and damaged her prefrontal cortex and her left side body.
But Joey Ramp certainly wasn’t lazy. After her painful polo accident, the woman decided to go back to school to learn more about her brain and neuroscience. Fortunately, Joey was not alone. Her new friend, a guide dog named Sampson, is here to help Joey with all her problems.
Joey, with the help of Sampson, earned her two bachelor’s degrees in neuroscience and is still pursuing her PhD in the University of Illinois lab. It was difficult at first because Sampson was not allowed into the lab to help her. However, Joey did not give up on her son and dreams.
After much discussion, the university has agreed to let dog into the lab on condition that they follow certain rules, including wearing full PPE in the lab. Samson’s Golden Retriever is trained to adapt to the strict rules of the lab, and fortunately the boy did his job very well!
Joey is currently working hard with other universities to help more service dogs get the right to enter the lab. In the near future, we hope to witness more scientific advances with the help of our beautiful four-legged friends.