BELFIELD, N.D. (KFYR) – Dogs have long been considered man’s best friend.
There’s a good reason for that.
They are loyal companions who also seem to sense when their masters need them.
The latest example of that happened just outside Belfield, in the middle of the night.
This story is good news, all thanks to a sweet dog named Reba Rose.
Reba Rose is named after one of Bill Palanuk’s favorite country singers.
Reba Rose is one of Palanuk’s three dogs. But these days, Reba is a little extra special.
“She was looking out for me,” recalled Palanuk.
On the morning of Feb. 4, Reba woke Palanuk, licking him and barking at him.
“That’s not normal. I thought she had to go outside,” he said.
Palanuk tried to get up to let her out, but he couldn’t move.
“It was like there was a force holding me down on the pillow,” he remembered. “I couldn’t lift my head up, nothing. It never dawned on me that I was having a stroke.”
Palanuk’s wife knew exactly what was happening, and she knew he needed to get to the hospital. In the ER, doctors confirmed he’d had a stroke.
“Do you think Reba knew?” asked reporter Jody Kerzman.
“Absolutely. I have no doubt in my mind,” responded Palanuk.
Palanuk’s stroke affected his voice. He attends speech therapy twice a week and is working to get his voice back. Because for the past four decades, Palanuk’s voice has been his livelihood. He’s been a regular voice on radio stations throughout the region. He hopes to be back on the radio in a few weeks.
Related: Radio veteran searching for his voice after stroke affects his speech
“Do I wish I wouldn’t have had a stroke? Well, yeah, who would wish you had a stroke? But man, the experiences that I’ve had over the last month, man, I wouldn’t trade for nothing. It opened my eyes to a lot of things,” he said.
Things like just how precious life is and how lucky he is to live this life filled with family, friends and dogs.
Palanuk said he’s covered many fundraisers and benefits in his four decades in broadcast, but for the first time, he’s found himself on the receiving end of a benefit.
A benefit account has been set up for Bill at Dakota Community Bank and Trust in Dickinson.
If you’d like to donate, you can send donations to:
Bill Palanuk Benefit Account
Dakota Community Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 210
Dickinson, ND 58602
Palanuk said it’s humbling and a reminder of the good people who have touched his life over the years.
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