THE smile on Anna Gilchrist’s face as she pats Cognac’s head says it all.

This is the dog who slowly but surely managed to connect with her across the abyss created by months spent falling in and out of consciousness.

Anna, 29, from Cheriton near Winchester was rushed to the Wessex Neurological Unit at Southampton General Hospital in 2005 suffering from encephalitis, an inflamation and infection of the brain and she was to remain at the hospital for another three years.

No one is sure what caused Anna’s illness in the first place – encephalitis is a viral/bacterial infection that results in headaches, seizures, behavioural changes, loss of speech and possible coma.

In most cases the effects last for two to three weeks but Anna was not to be that lucky on this occasion.

It was the third encepalitis episode she had suffered since the age of 18 but nobody was prepared for the years of anguish that were to follow.

“Cognac has played a very important part in Anna’s recovery. She has been able to “talk” to him without having to use words. There were fears that Anna might be left in a wheelchair following her illness but she is back walking and Cognac has helped with that too.

“He is very special indeed,” said Anna’s mum Sue.

Anna went to the hospital when her speech started to be affected and within days she could no longer text on her phone or read or speak.

During the months and days that followed her admittance her parents, friends and family kept a bedside vigil.

Sue explained: “Her friends from university and work were wonderful. They came to visit and helped us to keep positive,” she said.

It was during a visit to the hospital that Sue saw Cognac, a beautiful collie dog with his owner Sue Cole from Romsey.

Cognac is a PAT dog – a specially trained dog who visits patients at Southampton General Hospital.

His owner Sue was a regular on the wards when she was approached by Anna’s mum.

“I saw her going up the corridor and started running after them. We have a border collie at home and I thought Cognac might be able to get a reaction out of Anna,” she said.

For months Sue and Cognac visited Anna and in the beginning there was little response.

The longed for breakthrough did not come instantly – but slowly but surely Anna did eventually open up to Cognac and their perseverence paid off.

Anna’s parents have set up a charity called Anna’s Room to say thank you for the wonderful treatment their daughter has received. In the first year they raised £37,000 and future projects include a cookery book available from their website annas-room.com.