St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner and your autonoME can help you make the most out of this fun holiday! Here are some ideas:
Ashley Williams was an ambitious young woman serving in the United States Air Force when she was tragically struck by a car while serving overseas. The incident caused severe spinal cord injuries that left her paralyzed in the prime of her life.
Fast forward to today. Ashley is being served by the James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital in Tampa Florida where she was provided with an autonoME Residential unit to help her re-gain her independence…and re-gain her independence is an understatement. Ashley is utilizing her autonoME to pursue her Master’s degree in teaching and is currently just one class away from earning her Bachelor’s degree in nursing.
“Ashley is proof positive that a devastating spinal cord injury does not prevent one from pursuing and achieving their goals and dreams,” explains Lisa Swiger, President of Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI). “Ashley is utilizing her autonoME Residential to the max as it not only provides her with environmental control and full computing capabilities, but it also offers her a voice and the ability to speak. She is exactly what the autonoME is all about because it offers customized environmental control, computing, and communications solutions to individuals with the most serious and debilitating disabilities and chronic illnesses.”
Everyone at Team ASI is proud of Ashley and her accomplishments. We are excited to continue to support her along her educational journey.
Special thank you to Fox 13 Tampa Bay for featuring Ashley in their “What’s Right with Tampa Bay” segment.
Special thank you to The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital in Bethany, Oklahoma for this wonderful article and update on how the autonoME is making a difference in the lives of the children they serve!
The one to two-week inpatient program is for patients who have completed their initial rehabilitation but would benefit from additional therapy and medical management. Patients receive equipment evaluations, assistive technology evaluations, and training to optimize independence. pic.twitter.com/LYtVGsMS8k
— The Childrens Center (@tccokc) June 3, 2019
Accessibility Services (ASI) worked with The Children’s Center Rehabilitation Hospital to develop and install a customized autonoME hospital system for inpatients and an autonoME system in an AT lab for outpatient demonstrations.
ASI’s Vice President, Brice Green, consulted with the facilities manager at The Children’s Center and customized the autonoME to meet the hospital’s specifications. Heather Giordano M.S., CCC-SLP, Product Rep. and ASI’s in-house national certified speech and language pathologist provided on-site consultation on customizing the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) specifically for their patients.
“Knowing that a child who is unable to communicate can now express their thoughts and feelings makes what we do so worthwhile,” explains Green, “And, giving children with disabilities the ability to perform tasks that most people take for granted – such as changing channels on the television or turning on the lights – makes a tremendous difference in the lives of these children and their families. We are honored to be part of the ‘miracles’ that The Children’s Center make happen every day.”
Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) had the opportunity to install our autonoME environmental control units/speech generating devices in three specialty rooms at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. KSTP TV- 5 in St. Paul, Minnesota covered the story, as it is the only pediatric hospital in the state outfitted with this type of technology. The young man featured in the news story below uses the autonoME outfitted with sip ‘n puff to lower the shade in his room and operates his television with voice control.
ASI was proud to be part of this project designed to help improve the quality of life and promote the independence of quadriplegics at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. We look forward to installing autonoME’s in even more hospitals throughout the country!
Special thank you to Elisha Neubaue, Mike Arnold and the Citrus County Chronicle for publishing an in-depth feature on ASI.
(article expired on Citrus County Chronicle website)
Disabled veterans with qualifying disabilities, such as ALS and some spinal cord injuries, can qualify to receive an autonoME through the Veterans Administration (VA). We also work with private individuals, in addition to installing units in VA spinal cord injury units, hospitals and long term care facilities.
Thank you, Citrus County Chronicle, for helping us spread the word about our life changing technology!
Lisa Swiger
ASI was very excited to be invited as a guest on Veterans Radio. Our own Lisa Swiger talked with Veterans Radio hosts Bob Gould and Dale Throneberry about the autonoME, which is installed in several Veterans Administration (VA) Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) units through the U.S. They also touched on how veterans who are quadriplegic or have a debilitating disease such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or multiple sclerosis (MS) may qualify to receive an autonoME through the VA.
Listen:
If you have not yet tuned into Veterans Radio, we strongly encourage you to do so. The show has been on the air for 14 years. It airs live every Sunday from 5-6pm on WAAM Talk 1600 in Ann Arbor, Michigan and reaches thousands around the globe through live streaming and podcasts. They are doing an incredible service to veterans by covering the latest news, products, books and information of interest to the veteran’s community, as well as sharing listener’s stories and experiences.
We want to extend a special thank you to Bob Gould for inviting us on the show and recognizing the importance of the autonoME and how it is being used to help veterans. We also would like to thank Dale Throneberry who also asked some very pertinent questions directed toward how the autonoME benefits veterans.
Check out the show and let us know what you think!
Special thank you to Billy Cox and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune for publishing the wonderful article on how Manny Galan is using the autonoME to gain independence. Manny graduated high school in June aspires to study nuclear engineering in college with the help of his new autonoME.
You probably remember the story of Manny Galan, the young man who suddenly went into cardiac arrest at the age of 14 and suffered an anoxic brain injury. Accessibility Services, Inc. was moved by Manny’s story and drive to complete high school in hopes of attending college. We donated an autonoME package consisting of an environmental control unit (ECU) and speech generating device (SGD) to help him pursue his dreams.
Manny’s mom, Millie, keeps us up to date on Manny’s progress. He is mastering the autonoME, continuing his education and remaining active in the community. Manny recently crafted a beautiful ceramic vase, which was on display at an art festival in Venice, Florida in early November. Ceramics is part of Manny’s occupational therapy, and wow, what a masterpiece!
Manny is an example of someone who has not allowed tragic circumstances get in the way of living life to the fullest. Manny is fortunate to have a wonderful support system, including his mom, Millie. We look forward to continuing to follow Manny’s journey. Who knows, he may just discover some new ways the autonoME can be used to help improve the lives of quadriplegics.
Way to go, Manny. We are very proud of you!
North Port Man Who Clinically Died Now Aspires to Pursue a Nuclear Engineering Degree Thanks to the autonoME
Manny Galan was a healthy, overachieving, energetic 14-year-old whose life was forever changed in 2010 when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest while on vacation with his family. A blood clot traveled to his heart through an opening which was not previously diagnosed. As a result, Manny suffered an anoxic brain injury and was left in a persistent vegetative state. Although doctors told Manny’s mom – Millie Galan-Aguirre – that there was zero chance of him recovering, she refused to give up. Manny did not have enough brain function to qualify for rehabilitation, so Millie trained herself and started to provide him with therapy. Several months later, while in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, Manny looked into his mom’s eyes and became responsive.
Today, Manny is still a quadriplegic and non-verbal, but he is able to walk short distances with a walker, use the bathroom, eat small amounts of pureed food, water ski with assistance and go to school. In fact, Manny graduated from high school in 2016 and aspires to attend college to study nuclear engineering. Sarasota County Schools contacted Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) in Homosassa, Florida to tell them about Manny and his aspirations. As a result, ASI visited Manny to conduct an evaluation and customized one of their autonoME packages – a combination of a speech-generating device and environmental control unit (ECU) – for him. The autonoME will serve as Manny’s “mobile aid”, allowing him to take notes, help him study, complete homework and access the Internet and computer programs.
“This has been a blessing in so many ways,” explains Galan-Aguirre. “I have to fight for everything I get for Manny. One Sunday I was praying because we knew how much Manny needed to get the communication device. I got a call that Wednesday to tell me that ASI was going to donate the device to Manny. I broke down in tears because my prayers were answered!”According to Brice Green, Product/Sales Manager for ASI, the company thrives on success stories like Manny’s. “We are literally delivering hope when many times, all hope has been exhausted,” explains Green. “Knowing that the autonoME will help Manny get a higher education and achieve a certain level of independence is rewarding for everyone at ASI and confirms that what we do definitely makes a difference.”
According to ASI, devices such as the autonoME are covered by the Veteran’s Administration for service related injuries and diseases such as ALS. However, they are generally not covered by private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare, making it challenging for some who need these types of devices to be able to afford them. “When a quadriplegic gains independence, their entire demeanor changes,” says Green. “The autonoME also helps alleviate stress on caregivers as well. We hope that one day private insurance, Medicaid and Medicare will realize the importance of the autonoME.” Manny’s autonoME is the second donation ASI has made this year. In March, the company donated a Grid Pad environmental control unit (ECU) to a gentleman with end stage Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).“We wish we could donate autonoME’s to every person with a financial need,” says Green, “While ASI will continue to make donations as we are able, we are in the process of exploring new funding opportunities and partnerships with non-profit organizations to help make the autonoME accessible to more people who need it.” In the meantime, Green says ASI is excited to follow Manny’s progress. “We have no doubt Manny will be able to achieve his dreams,” concludes Green. “We believe his story of survival and determination will inspire others and make a difference in the lives of so many.”
Special thank you to Robin Williams Adams for writing such a heartwarming story for The Ledger. We were honored to have had the opportunity to work with Alfred, Anna and the Dream Foundation!
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