[extropy-chat] Friend in need - son paralyzed from the neck down

[kevinfreels.com]

I have a fried who's 13 yr old son was just paralyzed from the neck down as a result of a tornado. 
The son is having serious problems dealing with it and I would like to extend him some hope and help.
I would like to ask for your assistance with one or more of the following:

1:) I would like specific examples of people with similar disabilities making their contributions to society. Stephen Hawking for example. A short narrative of a specific person you know with some links to further information would be nice. I would like him to understand that he is not alone and that legs are way over-rated compared to the mind and ability to communicate.

2.) I would like any links to specific emergent technologies that you may know of the treat or repair such problems and return a person to a normal life within the next 5-15 years.

3.) I would like any information on where I can help him find funding for such things as high-end computers with speech recognition software and word predicition software such as Stephen Hawking has. I am going to build him a nice system with plenty of ports and such, but the specific software and hardware will likely be more than either of us can afford. 

Any direct help, or leads or input on any of the above would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to take a truly terrible event and turn it into a positive thing. They are low-income and the kid is rather bright, but on a path to a labor job. My hope is that in the end he can become much more than what he would have and then he won;t look back on the paralysis as a life-robber, but a life giver. 

Thanks for all your input.

Kevin Freels


 
 
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