CBS13 Viewers Help Man With Cerebral Palsy Find His Voice With New Machine
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It may look like a simple machine, but it's changed one man's world by letting him do something he couldn't otherwise—communicate.
A lot has changed for Richard McLintic since we first met him four months ago. At the time, the Sacramento man with cerebral palsy was struggling with an old scooter and an outdated voice machine.
It was tough to figure out what he was trying to say. At times, he would have to resort to pointing to letters on a clipboard to communicate.
He still has the old scooter, but the 48-year-old who is able to live on his own, but has never been able to talk can now be heard loud and clear.
CBS13 viewers stepped up big time to give him more than $7,000 for a new state-of-the-art voice machine.
"It's changes his life dramatically, " said Christina Cowens, his in-home care specialist. "He's able to hold full conversations with people. He's able to ask people things."
It's also made him more confidence and more social.
"I'm very happy, too," he said.
Richard is still learning how to perfect his new device, from which he can also send text messages. It also comes with a bright front display screen so you can read what he's saying. It has a strong front speaker that echoes the thoughts in his mind with the push of a button.
Now he has the confidence to travel, and he's planning a trip to Florida next month.