Meet a Paralyzed Man Who Tweets With His Eyes
Stroke victim who lost all motor control used Twitter for the first time :
This is Tony Nicklinson. For the past seven years he's lived in a state of complete paralysis after suffering a stroke. Nicklinson is in the midst of a court battle for the right to end his own life -- he's called his post-accident existence "dull, miserable, demeaning, undignified and intolerable" -- but one fine morning, the Brit did something uniquely remarkable: he made his debut on Twitter using only his eyes.
Nicklinson's lost all motor function as a result of his stroke, although his powers of thinking and reasoning are undiminished. The only remaining parts of his body that can move are his eyes. It's symptomatic of a condition called locked-in syndrome, named for the way in which patients who suffer from it are effectively trapped inside their own bodies.
With the help of a computer that tracks his pupil activity, Nicklinson logged onto Twitter from his wheelchair and sent a single tweet. Within 24 hours, he had racked up nearly 2,500 followers. In the days since, Nicklinson's sent a handful of new messages, but follows only one other account -- @C4Dispatches, operated by the British television channel that produced a video of Nicklinson's tweeting.
This post is so close to my heart..my Husband died from ALS(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), and progressively lost use of his legs, hands and half his neck. He could no longer walk for the rest of his life. It also affects breathing and swallowing. He could still eat with some difficulty, but the breathing proved to be his greatest problem(used a bi-pap). I became acquainted with various pieces of equipment..in anticipation that they would be needed for future use. Using the eyes for communication or puffing on an extended cylinder to move a power chair.. There are so many new devices..and clearly this gentleman found a new source of meaning to his life..may he progress and live his life with new meaning..
ReplyDeleteGrieve not....technology too has it's limit'
ReplyDelete