What does it mean to lose your voice? For many, the loss of vocal communication means losing a piece of what makes them feel human. As ALS progresses it robs people of their ability to speak, leaving them to talk to loved ones through devices with clunky, computerized voices.
Pat Quinn, creator of the famous Ice Bucket Challenge, spoke to the ALS Association about the pain of losing your voice- “It is crushing when you have so much to say but you are almost forced to keep it in.”
We understand the pain patients endure as they feel their voices slipping away and we set out to do something about it. In 2018 we launched Project Revoice– an initiative aimed to return voices stolen by ALS. Thanks to technology created by Canadian-based tech company Lyrebird, ALS patients will be given new, natural sounding “voices” by having their own voices banked and fed through speech-generating devices.
It’s through Project Revoice that Pat was once again able to hear his own voice. “It truly feels like a piece of me that ALS took away has returned” he said, in his own voice. He continued, expressing how this new development gave him the push he needed to keep going- “This has lit a fire inside me to continue fighting with everything I have.”
The ALS Association hopes to spark more innovative efforts like Project Revoice, and each and every day we’re making progress thanks to wonderful people like you! Would you like to help us create a world without ALS? Donate today.
