Special Gift Will Help Aaron Edwards Communicate

A disabled Canon City teen got a special delivery Sunday. KRDO Newschannel 13 gave Aaron Edwards a computer donated by a viewer that will allow him to communicate by blinking his eyes.

Aaron, who is wheel chair bound with cerebral palsy, didn’t need words to show how he felt. His face lit up and he yelped with excitement when he saw the big box.

“How long have we been waiting for you to get something like this?” Aaron’s mom, Mitzi Roden, asked him. “Every day of my life,” she translated by watching Aaron’s mouth movements.

It’s just more good news for 14-year-old Aaron after the Florida legislature awarded him with a $15 million medical settlement last week. Lawmakers decided he was entitled to that money because mistakes at the state hospital where he was born caused his disabilities. The hospital has until the end of the year to pay up, so after a legal battle that’s lasted more than a decade, Aaron and his family still haven’t seen a penny of the pay out.

After seeing reports about Aaron on KRDO Newschannel 13, Crowley County resident Richard Grasmick decided he wanted to donate an $18,000 Dynavox Max computer system to the teen. Grasmick had purchased it for his wife, but she died from Lou Gerig’s disease a week later, before she ever got to use it.

Aaron said he was sorry for Grasmick’s loss and thanked him for the gift. Aaron and his mom use their own special sign language, and Aaron has a computer where he can type out words, and the device speaks them. The problem is, Aaron has a really hard time using his arms. The new computer will allow him to use his eyes to type.

“He’s almost unable to communicate, it takes him so long. And he’s fatigued afterward,” said Roden. “This is an answer to his prayers.”

Aaron and his mom are hoping to meet Grasmick to thank him some day soon. For now, Aaron is just eager to start using his new machine.

“Can I test it out?” he asked.

As soon as Aaron gets his settlement money from the hospital, the family plans to move to Texas where Aaron will attend a top notch school for people with disabilities.