Program Restores Speech for ALS Patients

A Vermont nonprofit is working to restore speech for people living with ALS.

The disease, often called Lou Gehrig's disease, has no cure and is always fatal. Vermont reports the highest rate per capita in the country, with about 27 people living with ALS in the state currently. The partnership uses artificial intelligence to rebuild communication for patients losing independence, allowing them to speak again with relatives and doctors.

The technology addresses a specific gap in care. As the disease progresses, patients lose the physical ability to form words. The system described in the report provides a substitute voice to bridge that loss.

The program is part of a wider series of reports. One segment examines a disability payment error that nearly cost Henry Adams his home. Adams fell behind on his mortgage while caring for his wife during her cancer battle. He enrolled in an FHA loan modification program through U.S. Bank. The bank paused his mortgage for several months. The program then required three consecutive on-time trial payments to qualify for final approval. A trial payment bounced after the error, which removed him from the program.

Another segment covers chronic pain research. The National Library of Medicine reports that more than 30% of the world's population experiences chronic pain. That figure represents 2.4 billion people. The report details the experience of Allyn Minton, a Nashville-based licensed physical therapist who has been pain-free for one year.

The series also profiles a card-making operation. Riley Haughey, 11, draws animal figures at her kitchen table using markers. She calls the drawings Riley's Critters. Each one becomes a greeting card. Tony Klain, 85, runs the printer that produces them. Riley said the output is "top notch printing."