An apprentice solicitor with a rare hereditary condition which means she risks dislocating her joints when opening a door or putting on a jumper has said her dreams of a legal career are “real again” thanks to her “cheeky” assistance dog. After suffering debilitating pain and frequent dislocations throughout her teens, Jemima Banks, 23, was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) in 2018 – a condition which affects connective tissue, causing hypermobility and loose, unstable joints which dislocate easily.
Despite persevering to achieve her A-levels from home in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, Jemima was unable to attend university, where she needed help from her mother, civil servant Philippa Banks, 57, to do even basic tasks like having a shower. Determined not to let her illness hold her back, Jemima found part-time work as a junior paralegal in 2018 but was still “terrified” to head into her office safely – until October last year, when the charity Dogs for Good paired her with her black Labrador-Retriever Albert.
Now enjoying a thriving work and social life with Albert by her side, Jemima, who lives with her mother, said: “I don’t feel terrified to go out now. If I drop my keys, I know Albert will pick them up and I won’t pass out in the road due to my body not being able to regulate my blood pressure.
