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Television News Service/Medical Breakthroughs ŠIvanhoe Broadcast News, Inc. 1998 Lou Paulmier loses his balance and tumbles to the ground about 20 times a day as a result of Parkinson's disease. Marge Paulmier is Lou's wife. "I think many people thought he was drunk or demented or both," she says. Matthew Stern, M.D., is a neurologist at the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. "We actually do not know what causes this phenomenon of freezing, this sudden loss of balance, the sudden loss of the ability to walk, but we do know that a number of cues can overcome the freezing spell," he says. Medication doesn't keep Lou from falling down, but this big dog named Melek does. She becomes his legs... when his own give way. When Melek sees Lou shuffle his feet and "freeze up," she goes into action. Melek stays by Lou's side wherever he goes. When he stumbles, she's his crutch. If she can't keep him from falling, she helps him up. This is the first time dogs have been used to help people with Parkinson's. So far, five have been paired with patients. Trainers spent months matching each dog to the person's special needs. Jean King is the founder and president of Independence Dogs, Inc., in Chadds Ford, Penn., "We try to match the personality of the person with the dog's personality. We try to match the activity level of the person with the dog's activity level," she says. Patients only pay $200 to help buy their dog's custom harness. Donations take care of the $12-thousand it costs to train each dog. After just a few weeks together, Melek and Lou are confident and independent. To be considered for a Parkinson's dog, patients must have an imbalance problem and must be able to care for the dog. The pilot program is a joint effort between Independence Dogs, Pennsylvania Hospital and Smithkline Beecham. If you would like more information, please contact: Independence Dogs, Inc. 146 State Line Road Chadds Ford, PA 19317 (610) 358-2723 http://www.ndepot.com/idi Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center Pennsylvania Hospital 800 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 829-6688 SB Carelink American Parkinson's Disease Association (888) 400-2732 M.Bayne 48/4 [log in to unmask]