A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS DONATED AND RAISED MONEY FOR OUR SON. WE CAN NOW CONFIRM THAT THE EYE GAZE COMPUTER HAS BEEN ORDERED AND WE ARE EXPECTING DELIVERY IN LATE MAY!
BRILLIANT NEWS!: April 2009. Thanks to everyone involved with the 'Breach of the Peace' gig in Worcester who managed to raise a fantastic £1700.... we now have enough money to pay for extra training sessions for Jason to learn how to use his wonderful new computer to it's maximum potential!
NEWS UPDATE: March 2009. Two generous donations from the Grenville Lodge masons and the Grand Union Lodge Masons have increased our fund by £4,000.
LATEST NEWS FLASH: New Year 2009.
Three very generous donors have contributed towards the fund. The Fence Club and The Fence Club Trust Fund £5,000, The British Toy & Hobby Association £5,000 and the widows of the Masons Grenville Lodge charity account £200.
NEWS FLASH: Oct 2008. We have confirmation that the majority of the equipment is VAT exempt so have been able to reduce the initial target (£20,000) by £3500!
Jason is 10 years old and suffers from severe quadreplegic athetoid cerebral palsy. This means he has unnatural and uncontrollable muscle spasms and his body is very floppy. When he tries to move in any way his body becomes extremely stiff.
Jason is an extremely intelligent child who is trapped in a body that doesn’t work. He is capable of achieving so much more, both academically and socially were he to be given the correct means to do so. Jason has no speech and at present uses a ‘Tellus II’ computer to communicate and do his school work. He activates it with a rocker switch using his hand. This is a very slow process and he makes numerous errors as a result of his condition. Understandably Jason can become frustrated and distressed if he can't express himself correctly.
Jason attends the PACE centre where he trailed the ‘My Tobii’ eye tracker system. http://www.tobii.com/archive/pages/17767/What_is_eye_tracking.aspx
This is a real break through in communication and computer/internet access. It will allow Jason to communicate and control a computer just by using his eyes. There is no need for him to use any other part of his body saving errors, frustration and fatigue. It will undoubtedly open a whole new world for him allowing him to be able to email people, independently, do his schoolwork unaided, turn the TV on and off etc. by himself. How fantastic is that?!!! Jason would have a level of independence only ever dreamed of before.
This is a very expensive piece of equipment, which is why we have to fundraise so hard. You can help to make Jason's dream become a reality, and look forward to an email from Jason!
Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to support this appeal: the money gets to us faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.
However big or small; please make a donation today. Thank you from Jason, Lorna his mum and all his family, and friends at PACE.
