Lillian Eberhardt Technology

Thanks to the funds donated to the Gleason Initiative Foundation, Team Gleason was able to provide Lillian with a TobiiDynavox I-12+ (communication device) and a Rehadapt rolling floor stand. Thank you!

After Lillian’s ALS diagnosis in November 2016, a social worker at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida told Lillian’s daughter about Team Gleason. She then reached out and Team Gleason was able to provide Lilliam a TobbiDynavox I-12+ and a Rehadapt rolling floor stand.

“Mom has the biggest smile when she uses her speech device. Mom used the device to communicate with PALS we met for the first time. Having the speech-generating device made it easy for a large number of people to hear what [she was] saying.  The device made it easy for Mom to make new friends.  

One of the many custom pages available for download was made by a Mom for her Son that uses funny sayings from a card game.  The first night after the device arrived, my husband programmed that page for Mom to use, and she couldn’t wait to show me when I got home from work. I hadn’t seen her laugh that hard in many years.  

Mom uses the device every day. The stand that came with the device is beautiful and sturdy, and so helpful because Mom is in bed all day.   We programmed fun pages that make animal noises when you touch them. Mom presses the animal noise buttons all day long and through the night as well. Mom has the fronto-temporal dementia that sometimes comes with ALS.   I believe she is exercising her mind more now by actively interacting with device rather than passively watching television.  

The device has been a huge help to our family now, but it also gives us peace of mind for the future to be able to turn on eye gaze when she will lose her ability to write.  Knowing that we will have a way to communicate with Mom gives our family tremendous peace.

-Natalie Squirtiro, daughter of Lillian Eberthardt (pALS)

Here is a video of Lillian and her family thanking Team Gleason but we’re using this post to thank you – thank you for enabling Team Gleason to help pALS across the country!