When two journeys become one: A story of resilience, recovery, and One Medicine
Priscillia and her loyal rough collie, Hermès, have been on a shared journey of illness, resilience, and inspiration.
Living for many years with multiple sclerosis taught Priscillia perseverance and the quiet strength of rebuilding yourself day after day, yet she never anticipated that Hermès would one day mirror her own medical struggles, and ultimately reshape the direction of her life. Their shared story is a testament to healing, hope, and the powerful bond between humans and animals.
Living with MS
“My name is Priscillia, and for years I’ve lived with the challenges of multiple sclerosis. Fatigue, weakness, mobility issues , they shaped my daily life and taught me patience, discipline, and how to rebuild myself on difficult days.”
Hermès’ unexpected medical journey
“But I never imagined that my dog, Hermès, would end up walking such a similar medical path beside me.
Hermès is a rough collie with a gentle, goofy soul. What started as mild stiffness slowly revealed itself as severe hip disease. One surgery became two, then a revision, then another. We lived through implant luxations, failed fixation, nerve weakness, pain, three-month periods of dislocation, and the terrifying question nobody wants to face: Is there still hope?”
A mirror of healing
“Throughout my MS journey, physiotherapy helped me move again. It gave me independence, strength. And suddenly, I watched Hermès need the same: hydrotherapy, proprioception work, neuromuscular re-education, daily exercises, and patience beyond imagination.
It felt like a strange mirror, the same vocabulary, the same doubts, the same tiny victories. Some days I helped him walk. Other days, he helped me.”
Where human and veterinary medicine meet
“What changed everything was realising how deeply human and veterinary medicine align. The techniques that helped me were helping him. His determination inspired mine. And his long recovery lit a spark in me that changed my life – I left my previous career to study animal physiotherapy.
Hermès didn’t just survive multiple complex surgeries, he redirected my entire future.”
Walking forward together
“Our story isn’t perfect. We still have challenges. But we walk them together, step for step. I’m submitting our story because I truly believe in One Medicine. If humans and animals benefit from the same principles of care, compassion and scientific progress, then sharing these lived experiences matters. Hermès gave me strength, purpose, and a calling. The least I can do is share what he’s taught me.”
In sharing this story, Priscillia hopes to illuminate the profound connection between human and animal healing. Hermès’ resilience did more than guide her through difficult chapters—it led her toward a new purpose rooted in empathy, science, and the belief that recovery and symptom management is a journey best travelled together.