LOS ANGELES (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Marlene Miller was in the final stages of Lou Gehrig's disease when an ant crawled up her leg. Locked inside a body that could no longer move or speak, she had no way to tell her son Roger why she was crying. Thirty minutes later, he figured it out and removed the ant from her leg.

"There was no communicating with her," says Roger of his deceased mother. "We guessed. She was, at that time, just able to nod or blink her eyes [to tell us] what she wanted."

But all that changed when Roger created MarVision, an alternative mode of communication that consists of a book full of pictures and a battery-powered laser. When Roger attached the laser to his mother's glasses, he found she was able to spotlight her needs by moving her head toward the corresponding picture.

"Within a week's time, she was able to tell us almost everything she wanted in seconds," Roger says.

MarVision also works for people with cerebral palsy, a disease that makes speaking difficult. Bill Mulligan uses MarVision to order meals, choose clothing, or ask for a shower. Because Mulligan can move his finger, he rarely needs to use the laser to convey his needs, but he likes the idea for those who are paralyzed.

"[People suffering from cerebral palsy] feel uneasy because they know they're not going to be able to communicate," says Elaine Heesch, Bill's caregiver. "When they've got this, it breaks the ice, both ways."

Roger named MarVision after his mother, Marlene. The system was so effective, Marlene used it to spell out her last wishes before she died.

"She used it on the day she died," Roger says. "So she was able to tell us everything she wanted."

Roger promised his mother he'd keep MarVision going with $20,000 of his own money and a strong will not to disappoint her.

"Mom, I got it done," he says.

There are several other hands-free communication devices on the market, but most run between $1,200 and $6,000. At just over $200, Roger plans to keep the price of MarVision affordable. So far, he's sold more than 30 systems with no advertising and no employees.

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, which offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, click on: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.

If you would like more information, please contact:

MarVision
Roger Kerns
(949) 637-0504

[email protected]
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