At the home games for northern_iowa, spectators will see a new face — maybe a wagging tail — in the Panther Marching Band. Winnie, a service dog for 20-year-old Gabi Riessen, stands next to her human dressed in her Panther Marching Band uniform while Riessen crashes her cymbals. Riessen, a sophomore, joined the marching band this year after transferring from a university that did not allow her to participate because of the dog. Riessen was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS, a chronic condition that causes an abnormally rapid heart rate when standing up from a sitting position. Riessen fought for six months to get her diagnosis, and once she could start walking on her own again, she knew she needed a service dog to help her. "Without Winnie, I don't think college would even be possible," she said. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #CedarFalls #Iowa #NorthernIowa