A teenager who could die from a strong smell because of a rare condition has had her life turned around by a specially-trained dog.
Martina Baker, 15, had to stay indoors in her window-less bedroom because of mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).
Allergic to 'almost everything', including heat, cleaning products, perfumes and cooking oils, even a whiff could send her into anaphylactic shock.
The teenager, from Maine, must wear a mask outdoors, and has lost friends and missed school because of her condition.
Now, Martina has a highly-trained dog called Caiomhe, pronounced Queeva, who alerts her to possible dangers before they happen.
After two and a half years of misery of going to hospital three times a week, Martina is able to see a movie at the theatre again, safe with her dog by her side.
Martina Baker, 15, has a highly-trained dog called Caiomhe (pronounced Queeva) who alerts her when she is about to suffer an allergic reaction to a rare disorder
Martina, pictured with her mother, Loretta Morse Leighton, 48, must wear a mask if she goes outdoors, spending most of her time in her 'sealed' bedroom
Martina was diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) after her reactions to 'almost everything' baffled doctors for around two and a half years. Before getting Caiomhe, she would be in the hospital up to three times a week with anaphylactic shock
Martina, with Caiomhe, has lost friends and missed time at school due to her condition
Until two and a half years ago, Martina was a completely healthy child.
But she suddenly became plagued with mystifying symptoms that doctors were unable to find a cause for.
She said: 'I wasn't allergic to anything before, then one day I woke up with hives all over my body.
'I had to go to the hospital because I had an anaphylactic reaction. My throat started swelling up with hives. They treated me with an EpiPen.'
Mast cell activation disorder is the umbrella term for a spectrum of diseases caused by the inappropriate activation or build-up of mast cells in the body's tissues.
Mast cells are produced in the bone marrow and are an important part of the immune system and help fight infection.
When mast cells detect an allergen, they release histamine and other chemicals into the bloodstream. Histamine makes the blood vessels expand and the surrounding skin itchy and swollen.
Mast cells sometimes mistake harmless substances, such as pollen, for infectious germs, and trigger the process of swelling.
This can cause the skin to become red, swollen and itchy, and it can also create a build-up of mucus in the airways, which become narrower.
People with the condition have an increased risk of having a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Symptoms include itchy skin or a raised, red skin rash, feeling light-headed or faint and swelling of the throat, mouth and tongue which can lead to breathing difficulties.
Source: NHS Choices
Martina's mother, Loretta Morse Leighton, 48, a family therapist, said: 'The hives would flare up all the time. She'd go into anaphylactic shock and we'd to have to rush her to the ER about three times a week.
'We never knew what was triggering it really.
'Last summer a skunk sprayed off outside Martina's bedroom window, she went into anaphylactic shock and had to be rushed to A&E.
'Afterwards she had to go and live with a friend for almost two weeks while we had her bedroom windows and door completely sealed up. It was awful.'
The teenager is also highly allergic to marijuana smoke, which poses a problem in her home state, where it is legal for
