Adapted from an article submitted by
Myria McCarthy
2822 Haywood Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37415
My son, Will McCarthy, was born a healthy happy baby. On July 23, 1984, he developed Reyes Syndrome and stayed in the hospital for six weeks. He is now classified with Ataxic Cerebral Palsy as a result of Reyes Syndrome in infancy.
When it was apparent he was not going to be able to communicate, we started a yearlong battle to get him a Touch Talker™ from Prentke Romich Company. After a year, and many letters from our lawyer who worked free of charge for Will's cause, he was able to "talk."
In 1987, Will "spoke" to our governor to get legislation passed for state insurance to buy communication devices for people. Again in 1987, he spoke before a state legislative committee to get the legislation passed. It passed!
In 1988, he spoke to Dale Murphey who played for the Atlanta Braves, when Dale was in Chattanooga for a fundraiser. Will has been published in many articles because of his unique way of talking. In 1989, my husband and I started a Handicapped Baseball League at a local park and, in 1998, the park named the field where the league plays for Will and our family. Will "sang" the National Anthem at the dedication.
Will rode in a National Walking Horse Show in 1991, in Shelbyville, Tennessee. As he rode around the ring and received a standing ovation, the announcer shared Will's story of his favorite horse. For his tenth birthday, he got to go back stage and meet country music singer Ricky Van Shelton. Will had preprogrammed some questions and the singer was amazed.
In 1993 we had another year long battle with insurance to get Will's Liberator. It took one letter from our State Representative, who was the chairwoman of the state legislative committee that Will had testified before in 1987. Her letter to the head of the insurance company got Will his Liberator within weeks.
In 1994, country singer Lee Greenwood and his wife, Kim, were at a dedication of an adaptive playground at Will's school. Will captivated them with his ability to talk.
In 1995, Will "testified" before Senator Bill Frist (R) from Tennessee's Subcommittee on Disabilities Policy. During that testimony, Will used his Liberator to sing, say the pledge to the flag in different voices, and totally delight the whole room. On that trip he spoke to Senator Fred Thompson and Congressman Zack Wamp both from Tennessee. Eunis Kennedy Shriver stopped him on the street and he spoke with her. Also in 1995, Will gave the same speech at a Minspeak Conference at the Prentke Romich Company, Wooster, Ohio.
In 1996, he traveled to Nashville to meet then-Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Bob Williams. Then-Commissioner Williams is also non-verbal and uses a Liberator. Also in 1996, Will was asked to give the opening address and introduce Dr. Judith Heumann, Assistant Secretary, U. S. Department of Education, for Support and Training for Exceptional Parents (S.T.E.P.) Conference.
On June 4, 1997, Will was one of six students across the United States chosen to be on the platform with President Bill Clinton at the signing of the Reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Act. He met President Clinton before the signing. Will sang to him, told him his ancestors were from Arkansas, and seemed to make a big hit. After the singing, he met Socks and Vice President Al Gore.
In 1997, we went to an Employment Conference in Pennsylvania. While there, we finally got to meet Snoopi Botten. He is the person who does the programming of the communication devices for singing. He is a genius! All you have to do is send him the sheet music, and a tape of the song, and he programs anything from Barney to Madonna.
Also in 1997, Will received an award from the National Council on Communicative Disorders in Washington, D.C. It was now Assistant Secretary Bob Williams who presented the award to Will.
In 1997, Will sang the National Anthem at the Dedication of the Max Finley Gordan Davenport Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 1998, Will was the guest of Mr. Michael Greene, President/CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. He attended the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in New York City. He got to go to LeeAnn Rimes' rehearsal. She met and talked with Will and he sang her one of her songs (thanks to Snoopi). He also got to meet Will Smith.
Will has been on television numerous times, had articles in many publications, one of which was Country Weekly in March, 1988, and he has been in the local newspapers. He has had a very full and exciting life, none of which would have been possible without augmentative communication devices. While Will has been able to do and accomplish a lot, he has not had the full benefits of an unbiased education system-an education system that seems to be informed as to how to teach and test non-verbal students. Nor does he have parents with knowledge of laws or educational processes. Dealing with administrators and teachers is a long and tedious process. In middle and high school, the educators are not as willing to accept disabilities. It is funny to me that the "outside world" sees possibilities but local educators only see limitations.