Support Dogs
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Support Dogs empower Forensic Psychology student's university comeback
Wednesday, 18 June, 2025Bath Spa University student Elie-Mai Riddick has credited her support dog, Bleddyn, for enabling her return to university life after a two-year break due to serious health challenges.
Elie-Mai is a current Forensic Psychology student at Bath Spa University, with dreams of working with neurodivergent young people in crime prevention. But living with Scheuermann’s Kyphosis, a spinal condition that causes excessive curvature of the spine, meant that university has challenged her in more ways than one.
Despite experiencing back pain from the age of seven, Elie-Mai wasn’t diagnosed with Scheuermann’s Kyphosis until 2012. She was told that surgery was essential and underwent an eight-hour thoracic spinal fusion surgery in 2019.
Elie-Mai's childhood was spent playing competitive sports and taking part in athletics and dance competitions. But post-surgery she found her mobility significantly impacted and was forced to adjust to a life without the independence she had known growing up.
After experiencing acute paralysis episodes earlier this year, Elie-Mai was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder and described falling into depression due to her condition.
This was when a friend suggested she send her beloved labrador, Bleddyn, to Support Dogs – a national charity that trains specialist assistance dogs for people with epilepsy, autism, and physical disabilities.
Hoping to increase her independence and build her confidence, she enrolled Bleddyn on the training programme. Now fully qualified, Bleddyn is the perfect four-legged helper. He helps Elie-Mai get dressed, opens and closes doors, pulls her washing basket, loads and unloads the washing machine and dryer, fetches her walking stick, keys, and phone, and barks for help if Elie-Mai falls.
Reflecting on her journey, Elie-Mai described what Support Dogs has meant to her:
“Before having Bleddyn trained, I wouldn’t be able to go out on my own. I always had to have someone on the end of the phone or not go out at all. But I don’t feel nervous about going to university with my condition getting worse anymore because I know he’ll be with me.”
Having Bleddyn’s support has made a profound difference. Earlier this year, Elie-Mai managed to travel alone by train for the first time since before her spinal surgery in 2019 – a milestone she once thought impossible.
Now back at BSU, Elie-Mai is working towards her future. Discussing how the University has supported her over the last few years, she said:
“BSU has always been incredibly understanding and supportive of all my health conditions, whether physical, mental or neurodevelopmental. The University has always given me the resources I needed and put in place the correct measures to ensure my learning experience would be that of any other student.”