A MAN has had his life transformed by a very special four-legged friend.

When Kingsley man Alan Edbrooke’s body began to shake “uncontrollably”, he knew exactly what was happening: his dad and grandad suffered from Parkinson’s disease, so he identified the symptoms immediately.

He gave up his job in IT managment in 2004 as the condition was causing agoraphobia and he was having panic attacks when he was away from home. Within a few years he was rarely going outdoors.

He was by then living with debilitating pain in his back, caused by his muscles tensing to cope with shaking caused by Parkinson’s.

But life got a little easier for him when he encountered Hamlin. The affectionate golden retriever has been trained by charity Canine Partners. It provides assistance dogs that transform the lives of disabled people.

The pair are inseparable and Alan, 48, now looks forward to going out because he is always accompanied by his four-legged best friend.

And as well as boosting his owner’s confidence and self-esteem, Hamlin opens doors, lends a paw with the washing machine and helps Alan put on and take off his shoes when he is unable to bend down due to his back pain. He also picks up anything Alan drops.

Mr Edbrooke, who lives in Kingsley with his wife Janine, said: “It was love at first sight. It’s incredible the difference he’s made. You can’t measure it.

“I get up in the morning and I look forward to seeing Hamlin, where as I used to just stay in bed.

“Hamlin goes everywhere with me – even to the gym. He comes to Pilates, which is excellent for my back, and everyone loves him in there. As soon as I move in the morning Hamlin’s there ready to help.

“One of the most important things Hamlin does is he gives me a constant point of reference by my side while we’re walking. When you have Parkinson’s, stumbling and falling can be reduced with visual cues, like having a dog walking gently by your side. He keeps me going straight when we’re out and about.

“Hamlin has given me the confidence to go into the outside world. He has given me a future and has made me happier being me.”

Alan and Hamlin are one of Canine Partners’ 383 active partnerships.

Each partnership costs the charity £20,000 to create. But it receives no government funding and is forced to rely on sponsorship and donations from members of the public to fund the training of its dogs.

The charity hosts a calendar of events every year, including its upcoming Pedal for Paws cycling challenge, which last year raised more than £4,000 from sponsorship when more than 100 cyclists rode across the South Downs National Park.

For information about Canine Partners, its future events or details on how to help, call 08456 580 480 or visit caninepartners.org.uk