9-Year-Old Girl Who Can’t Speak Receives $16,000 Talking Device
- Posted on November 15, 2011 at 12:00am by
Liz Klimas
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Madrona Hartford using her new Tobii ATI device to help her speak; mother Chris in background. (Photo: KOMO News)
Madrona Hartford, a 9 year old from Bellingham, Wash., is talkative, but probably not in a way that you would expect. Madrona has cerebral palsy and has to use an eye-tracking communication device, but her old one couldn’t keep up with her chatter.
KOMO News has more:
This isn’t Madrona’s first such-device, her parents said. Her first voice came in the form of Tobii’s first generation device–a small carry-on luggage-sized machine that wasn’t fast enough to keep up with everything Madrona had to say.
So when the new version came out, the family began to explore their options for Madrona. At first, Chris said, they were told that Madrona wouldn’t have the physical ability to use the machine, and so some doctors wouldn’t recommend it for her.
But within twenty seconds of the new device being turned on and set up in front of her, Madrona was proving her skeptics wrong, working through the electronic pages faster Bengen could even show them to her.
The Tobii ATI device, which costs $16,000, was donated to Madrona by the widowed wife of the company’s owner who passed away from ALS.
Here’s what Madrona had to say:
To control the voice, Madrona uses her pupils to select pre-programmed phrases and emotions, and she can type her own words as well.
Madrona's father Ryan helps her learn to use the new device. (Photo: KOMO News)
For Madrona’s parents, having her speak though this device “helps [them] get through the parts that are hard about being the parent of a child with a disability,” Chris Hartford said.
[H/T: Fark.com]
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Comments (50)
BloodyArtist22
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 11:40amWatch out Stephen Hawking, this chica has you beat!!!
Report Post »BloodyArtist22
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 11:37amOMG one of my friends‘ kids needs that but I don’t think she has the same “dis”ability as this girl. I dunno…maybe she does. That would be awesome if our church could come up with the money to help her speak…I’d love to hear what she has to say cuz she always seems she wants to crack jokes. :D Always smiling and laughing with people.
Thank God for pro-lifers…
Report Post »piper60
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 11:25amMy next question, is how portable is this device? It’d be ashame if she could only use it at home.
Report Post »The Gooch
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 10:50amSuch augmentative communication devices are great. I’ve never worked for anyone whose cost 16K; most I see top out at 3K. A speech therapist I refer to actually recommends an iPad for many of her clients, but you gotta have some physical ability to work the machine. Still, much more affordable and just as effective as most ‘touch’ machines from specialty providers.
Report Post »As always, the big question is: “Who will pay for it?” It’s infuriating to see fat bureaucrats waste hundreds of millions on junkies, conferences and snacky cakes… and then summarily deny a humang being a couple thousand dollars so he/she can communuicate. Thank God for the charity of the giver in this case.
This is not a call for universal health care. Such a device is generally not deemed a medical necessity now under Medicaid or Medicare. If payment is made, it’s usually partial. State programs don’t like being made to cover the costs of such tools. With the watered down coverage that ensues with “free” health care, to assume such devices would be more available is naive.
As for the worth, I believe the health of any society can be judged on how it treats the least amongst the population. Invariably, some Darwinian choad scoffs at helping our brothers and sisters who, thru no fault of their own, need our help. How can such a society even enterain “free” healthcare if some folks are deemed thow aways to begin with? Wacky.
ObserverOnTheHill
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 9:00amGod Bless the generosity of Obama – Oh wait, he had nothing to do with this. I believe under his “Complete Lives” plan this wonderful girl would not get the time of day from these bureaucraps.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 11:24amWhat is your Value to the Collective? Mine is NONE!
Report Post »Bekrhed
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 12:25pmThis little girl is obviously a little leftwing parasite who willingly accepts a $16k handout.
Report Post »She should be forced to get a paper route to pay for this newfangled contraption.
GET A JOB PARASITE!!!!
bigdaddyt46
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 8:49ami think we have found our little Ms. America winner of the century!!!!! that beautiful smile is a heart stealer.
Report Post »Jennifer_D
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 8:41amHow awesome that this little girl has the ability to use such a device to communicate. It is something that we all take for granted, but for those with special needs it can really be a struggle. Nothing beats seeing the smile on this little girl’s face; I am so glad that her parents fought for her ability to use this device. It puts to rest the notion that children with special needs are nothing more than a “problem” to their families.
Technology can do some absolutely amazing things!
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 8:17amI guess I’ll be alone on this… You Cannot SAVE Everyone, and the wounded will hold you back from completing your mission!
Report Post »newt
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 8:24amyou are alone
Report Post »grayling646
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 11:24amWhat a stupid statement, luke. This isn’t a battlefield, she just needs a voice and now she has it. To infer that this little girl is preventing someone from completing the ‘mission’ is just simply stupid. Crawl back under your rock.
Report Post »Eric A.
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 4:44pmIf you are alone, its because everyone left you behind.
Report Post »wheeler44
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 4:49pmReally alone, clearly you do not value the specialness of life. Atheist too, I can guarantee it.
Report Post »voicecheck1
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 7:55amSpeilberg even her name is other worldly ^ Welcome to Madrona ^
Report Post »ColoradoBoots
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 8:03amMy son has CP and uses a device like this and it enables him to go to school and communicate with his caregivers. The first thing he ever said was, “Lighten up Mom.” This technology is a lifesaver.
Report Post »voicecheck1
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 7:50amSpeilberg should build a movie around this beautiful kid give her a part in it and give her an opportunity to make some real money ^$^ it dosen’t get better than that smile God bless this child ^
Report Post »Pugfriend
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 7:47amThis is why God has put us here, to help those who can’t help themselves. This a prime example of that notion! God bless those that help the helpless!!!
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 8:00amYes, when my son was small (he’s 21 now) and only spoke in single words, all they could do for him was teach him sign language. this is better than the “guided typing” that supposedly went on with kids who couldn’t communicate. I used PECS with him for a while, and that’s how I taught him to shower by himself, with PECS pictures for every step, and reverse chaining (starting with the last step and working to the first). she’s right, this is so cool.
Report Post »DINORightMarie
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 6:47amWhat a blessing – look at that smile! And her joy!!
And to think, that liberal progressives (especially Fabian Socialists) believe that such people are a “drag” on society and are not worth “keeping alive.” The Dr. Peter Singers (“bioethics” professor, Princeton U) of the world: you are evil personified. This young lady, Madrona, is proof that your foolish, hateful, evil eugenics-based “philosophies” are clap-trap!
May God bless Madrona, her family, and all those who have been blessed with such lovely, precious ones!!
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 6:06am@LovinUSA
Report Post »Posted on November 15, 2011 at 4:52am
‘What wonderful news! God Bless this little one , I wish all afflicted children could have this opportunity.’
******************
And with universal healthcare, all children would have this opportunity. This nation can well afford to take good care of its people, if only it stops wasting half its money on war.
voicecheck1
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 7:39amIf we did not spend the money on our mighty military their would be no chance for us to live the way we do ^ this technology would only exist for the evil that would take over and pillage our way of life ^ we would be ruled by evil we would be repeating everything our master tells us just like the dummies at ows ^ wake up ^
Report Post »beekeeper
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 10:28am@Baikonur – Really? $16,000 machines are gonna start falling from the skies when we have finally implemented “Obamacare”?
You didn’t really read the story did you – her doctors didn’t think she could use the machine – it wasn’t a cost issue, they had to get a doctor to prescribe it…
So in your vision of “Obamacare” the non-death panels that will evaluate treatments for efficacy and cost-effectiveness will be handing these types of machines out to disabled children that doctors think can’t use them?
I think not. I suspect you are confusing what you want to happen with what will actually happen. Does every child with similar needs in France, England, and/or Canada have one of these machines? I suspect not – too expensive.
Report Post »Grannie4news
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 2:26pmYes, we could all live on Big Rock Candy Mountain and eat rainbow stew. Universal health care is not going be be as great as what you are making of it. Charity and compassion should be a matter of the human heart, not by being mugged by the government. I like the way God intended it to be and that is why he gave us free agency.
Report Post »Lucky Strikes
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 5:52amLove hearing these stories and see a child that happy just being able to communicate normaly.
Report Post »louise
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 6:06amI agree!
Report Post »Gump
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 4:59amWhat a beautiful young lady!
Report Post »GBMBulletsSKNRD
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 6:08amTo beautiful for mear words.
Report Post »LovinUSA
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 4:52amWhat wonderful news! God Bless this little one , I wish all afflicted children could have this opportunity.
Report Post »The10thAmendment
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 5:34amMade me tear up. Nothing can be such a heart warming and uplifting thing but to see a disabled young child be given the ability to have a sense of normalcy. It’s a cleansing story, especially after witnessing the horrors arising from the abuse of children in the Penn State case of child endangerment, rape, and perversion.
Thank you Liz for this story.
Report Post »Jim
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 2:50amThank you Blaze for covering such a smile inducing story. So happy for her!
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 2:34amIts always so nice to have a story that uplifts, when our world is eroding away to immoral decay! God bless this family and all families who have disabled children!
Report Post »peteto1
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 2:10amWhat a BEAUTIFUL little girl. As another poster mentioned, you can see her personality SPARKLE through her eyes!! Hopefully, she understands that beauty is more than skin deep. She is like a little “Miss America”, in her own way……God bless her (and good luck!!)…………
Report Post »WAKEUPUSA2012
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 1:34amGreat story
Heart warming
Report Post »arizonalivin
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 12:51amAs a father of a child with C.P. this was trulyheartwarming story. Her big smile reminds me of my little boy.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 1:01amBless your family and you.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 1:24amGod be with you and your family; may much joy and happiness be brought into your life and theirs.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 12:35amI love it .. it took her a “whole” 20 seconds to prove them wrong! What a wonderful thing for a wonderful little girl. So happy that her parents were “pushing” for her!
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 12:33amAn awesome note of goodness before I head to bed. Thank you, Blaze reporters. You folks are awesome! God bless you all, and get some good sleep.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 12:26amDamned capitalists!! (sarcasm trolls)
Report Post »Shasta
Posted on November 15, 2011 at 12:16amShe communicates (and sparkles) with her eyes. You don’t need a machine to see that. Great story.
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