Former RAF nurse says seven-month old black Labrador Mylo is to thank for rare lung disease being discovered at Lincoln County Hospital

A former RAF nurse was diagnosed with a rare lung disease which was only detected thanks to the inadvertent intervention from the family's dog.

Pat Gildea was looking after her daughter's deaf dog - a seven-month old black Labrador, Mylo - in March 2024, when he zoomed into the room and accidentally "slammed" into her stomach.

The 62-year-old was "feeling unwell and sore" and an x-ray at Lincoln County Hospital revealed two broken ribs - but also some "unusual white speckles" on her lungs, unrelated to the accident.

Further tests confirmed interstitial lung disease (ILD) in April 2024.

Pat is grateful Mylo accidentally alerted her and doctors to her progressive lung disease, which occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred.

But she now relies on oxygen tanks 24/7 as well as her mobility scooter to get around, and is unsure how long she has left.

Help For Heroes provided a grant to renovate her garden, as well as help her access occupational therapy and get additional equipment.

Pat, now retired, from Nocton, said: "I remember just sitting on the sofa in my daughter's house, when the dog just suddenly came crashing down on top of my stomach.

"My tummy got hard a few hours later and it was sore - but it wasn't until a couple of days later that I felt very unwell.

"That's when I asked my neighbours to call an ambulance for me."

"It was the scariest time of my life," she added.

"I was told the disease had compromised my immune system and couldn't clear simple infections.

"If I caught the common cold, I would be more susceptible to pneumonia. If I got a wound, I'd be more vulnerable to sepsis, so no one really knew how long I'd have left - even the doctors.

"I was terrified to go to bed at night in case I didn't wake up."

Before her diagnosis, Pat joined the Princess Mary RAF Nursing Service at the age of 18 and served for eight years.

During her service, she was based in Germany and at RAF Halton, where she had an important role treating servicemen who were injured during the Falklands campaign.

After meeting her then husband, Pat left the RAF and had a long career in the NHS, as a community nurse, until she retired aged 58, because of her psoriasis and developing joint pain which made working "all too much".

The mum-of-two was diagnosed with Interstitial lung disease (ILD) after the accident with Mylo in March 2024.

It is an umbrella term that covers many different lung conditions that affect the interstitium and around 2 - 4,000 people in the UK get diagnosed every year.

Its typical symptoms include breathlessness, tiredness and a persistent cough - however, people with the most severe and rapidly worsening forms of interstitial lung disease, are generally given a poor prognosis of 3-5 years.

She was diagnosed at Lincoln County Hospital.

"All my life I've been the one helping people and making them get better," Pat said.

"And now because of this diagnosis, my life has completely changed and it seems to be the other way around."

Now she "gasps for air" every time she gets up to make a cup of tea or go to the loo - and during the night she uses oxygen concentrators to help her breathe.

She was struggling to get out and enjoy her garden due to uncompleted work on a new patio and path.

"I fell at least three times," she added.

"I love sitting outside in the sun reading and having a drink and potting - and I just couldn't get out."

Veterans charity Help for Heroes helped Pat with a grant to cover the costs of repairs, which was undertaken last month.

“Through Help for Heroes I’ve also been able to access occupational therapy and get additional equipment," Pat said.

"I don’t know how much longer I’ve got left, but the support from Help for Heroes will change my life.”

Initially, Pat thought she was ineligible for support.

She wants to make sure that other former servicemen and women – irrespective of when and where they served – know that the Charity is there for them.

Help for Heroes supports veterans and their families, from any branch of the UK military – regulars or reserves – irrespective of length or place of service, and locally embedded civilians who worked under the command of UK Armed Forces.