Alhanna couldn't explain the pain she was experiencing in her 18th week of pregnancy, and neither could her doctor.
The pain was getting worse by the day, and her dog's strange behavior began to make more sense...
They Got Married
When Alhanna got married to Ricky, they both knew they wanted to have children.
They also had a lovely Akita Inu named Keola, who immediately proved his loyalty to the newlyweds. A few months after the wedding, the couple began trying for a baby.
Negative
The first test came up negative, so Alhanna threw it in the bin without giving it much thought. But Keola knew that something was up.
"When we returned, Keola had gone through the bin and had got the pregnancy test out of the bin. She had never touched the bins before, so it was very odd. She was sat with it in front of her like she was trying to tell us something." Alhanna explained.
Pregnant
She went on to say, "I grabbed it and saw a faint second line - I couldn't believe it. I showed Ricky straight away and said Keola was saying I was pregnant, but he said the line was too faint and it was just a coincidence, so we binned it again."
"The next day, I went to buy a more expensive test, and it said I was two weeks pregnant. I told Ricky by writing a note as if it was written by Keola and attaching it to her collar for him to read. We were both over the moon, and we realized that Keola was truly a special dog who could detect things that we couldn't." But then, Alhanna began experiencing intense body pains and nausea.
She Fell Ill
Alhanna visited her midwife, but she told her that it was normal and her pains would pass.
Then, 18 weeks into her pregnancy, Alhanna fell ill, and her dog began to worry. He would wait for her outside the bathroom and bark at the door. Something wasn't right.
It's Normal
She went to the hospital, and they sent her home again after explaining that her pains were common during pregnancy.
Alhanna said about her dog, "When the doctors sent me home and said there was nothing seriously wrong, she just sat staring at me so intently that it really scared me."
She Collapsed
Alhanna's mother told her to listen to her dog. She believed that her daughter might really be ill, and Keola was sensing something.
When Alhanna returned to the hospital, she collapsed on the floor. The staff rushed her to the intensive care unit, where she was diagnosed with an antibiotic-resistant bug and a double kidney infection.
Keola Knew
"No one really understood how ill I was - but Keola did. She would nudge me and cry, and I could never figure out why she had suddenly started doing this. Ricky said she was distraught whenever I went to work when she had never minded before," Alhanna explained.
Her illness was so rare that a new strain of antibiotics had to be created to treat her.
In The Hospital
Alhanna spent one month in the hospital to ensure she and her baby were safe.
"It was awful. People thought I was just being a wimp and kept telling me, 'oh, if you can't handle this, how are you going to cope with having a baby? But I could barely walk," she said.
She Saved Her
Alhanna gave birth to a healthy baby, thanks to her loyal dog Keola who never left her side.
"It was incredible. She knew I was seriously ill when no one else did, and she made sure she told me. Whenever I went out of the house, Ricky said she would cry and pace around," she said.
Lincoln
Lincoln was born healthy and happy, and Keola immediately accepted him into the home.
Keola hasn't left his side since the day he was brought home. But would their bond remain strong?
The Trust
Alhanna says she completely trusts her dog around Lincoln.
"I completely trust her around Lincoln. She loved him before any of us did— it was her who knew about him first. She loved him before he even knew she existed, and she would rest her head on my tummy," she said.
Grateful
Alhanna is eternally grateful for Keola.
"I have absolutely no doubt that both me and Lincoln would not be here today if it wasn't for Keola."
Best Friends
"Now, she spends all of her time by his side. She sleeps by his cot, and she stands guard of him all the time. In Japan, Akitas have been known as 'babysitting' dogs, and she definitely lives up to this. She is inseparable from him," she continued.
Alhanna shared her pregnancy experience on her Facebook page, along with the story about how her loyal dog saved her life.
Together Forever
In every photo she shared, Keola can be seen snuggling next to Lincoln.
The two are still inseparable to this day and probably will continue to be for years to come.