When Derrick Stott was unexpectedly hospitalized, he didn't not know who would care for his service dog, Keller.

Thankfully, his counselor showed up in the right place at the right time and was able to help.

"I texted him and I didn't get a reply. I thought that was kind of odd because he's very meticulous about things. He's just really good about letting me know what's going on," said Michelle Hargis-Zuerlein, a mental health counselor with CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs in Nebraska.

Hargis-Zuerlein says she was coming to pick up Stott, her client, for a support group session when she realized something was wrong.

"I came upstairs to the inside door in the apartments and I can hear his dog, Keller, kind of crying," said Hargis-Zuerlein.

When she went inside, she found Stott on the floor. He had been lying there for seven hours.

"My medical bracelet had cut into my wrist... I'd been laying there so long," Stott said.

Stott was taken to the hospital, where he spent two weeks recovering from a flu-related fever. During that time, Hargis-Zuerlein took in Keller and cared for her with her husband.

She and the dog even made trips to the hospital when Stott started to improve.

"Having her there for that time, snuggling with her, to give her up was really hard," said Hargis-Zuerlein. "But I knew that Derrick loves her and she takes care of him and this is where she needed to be."

Keller is back home now with Stott but got to reunite with her temporary caretaker on Thursday.

Now, the relationship between the two humans is closer than ever, thanks to one very lovable dog.

"You know, she's kind of my girl. And I'm not married, so she's kind of my little honey. I don't know what I'd do without her," Stott said about his dog.

The pandemic is taking its toll on kids in more ways than one. Doctors are calling mental health in our children a second pandemic. Sister station KOAT spoke to a pediatrician about the strain COVID-19 has put on our children.

Dr. Alex Cvijanovich is the president of the New Mexico Pediatric Society. She said mental health has been declared an emergency.

After months of home lockdown and isolation protocols because of COVID-19. Cvijanovich said our children face a mental health crisis, and it's something parents should take very seriously.

"I think it was here before COVID-19, but it has really exploded during the COVID pandemic. Take your child's concerns seriously and trust your instincts," she said.

So how can you tell if your child is struggling with mental health? Cvijanovich said the first signs are changes in eating habits, your child isolating themselves more than usual, sleeping through the days or not enjoying activities they usually love.

Cvijanovich said she sees these symptoms every day, and if you see them in your child, it's essential to act fast. If you can catch it early, you'll minimize the impact.

"Try to talk to your child if your child is willing. If the child or teenager has had a counselor or a therapist, a psychologist before, get back in touch," Cvijanovich said. "We need to be extremely careful. We are seeing much higher rates of attempted suicides and suicides. Parents, Grandparents, and caregivers know the kids in their house the best. And if they are concerned about their child's mental health, act on it."

The doctor adds that putting the suicide hotline number somewhere in your house or in your child's phone is the best way to keep them safe when you're not around. That number is 1-800-273-8255.

Watch the video above for the full story.

There’s no such thing as a magic pill. During the pandemic, nearly 65 million people -- that’s one in five Americans -- have filled prescription medication to help with a mental health condition.

Experts note it can take some fine-tuning before getting on a medicinal regime that works for a person. So how can someone know if they need meds? 

"Therapy can give you the tools and skills to be able to manage and cope with the symptoms. But the medication is going to address the biological aspects of those disorders," Dr. Erlanger Turner, an assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University and the author of "Mental Health Among African Americans: Innovations in Research and Practice," told Newsy.

"Because sometimes we're in such a bad state that we can't even make use of psychotherapy. We might be so depressed or might be so anxious that we can't work with material one-on-one over a period of a half-an-hour to 60 minutes," Dr. Flavia Desouza, a board-certified psychiatrist and assistant professor at Howard University, said.

Experts say whether it's heading back into the office after working from home or stressing about a family or friendly gathering, communicate your boundaries in a simple way. 

"You need to be presented with options because you are the captain of the ship. It's your mental health and you are the driver. You're the one who would take the medication every day. So it needs to be your decision," Dr. Eric French, medical director of adult psychiatry at Medical Center of Aurora, said.

And if you’re thinking about stopping medication:

"I typically will tell my patients, 'if we do stay out of it, give it six months to a year. If you're taking a medication for depression and all of a sudden you stop cold turkey, you can experience physical symptoms as well as emotional symptoms.' Some people describe feeling like there's brain zaps, the sort of electrical sensation in your brain," French said.

The insight here isn't meant to substitute medical advice. If you're looking for free and low-cost care near you, findahealthcenter.HRSA.gov or calling (800) 662-HELP could be a start.

This story originally reported by Lindsey Theis on Newsy.com