Sunday, December 05, 1999
Computer would offer gift of voice
BY REON CARTER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Stephanie Schrode just wants "people to give me a chance."
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Stephanie Schrode believes one of life's greatest pleasures would be to read a bedtime story to her 1-year-old daughter, Karlie.
But the Price Hill woman, who lost her larynx to cancer in 1991, cannot.
Miss Schrode doesn't use sign language, but communicates by mouthing her words. She also uses a hand-held device that when pressed against her throat produces an artificial voice that allows her to speak on the telephone.
When she's not spending time with her daughter, she works packing boxes at Meritor Automotive in Florence.
She sees education as a way to improve her quality of life. She attended Campbell County High School, but did not graduate because of her illness. She's four points away from completing the requirements for a G.E.D. and is preparing applications for Cincinnati State Technical and Community College.
“I would like to be a nurse someday,” says Miss Schrode. “I was very impressed with the nurses I saw when I was sick. I'd like to specialize in working with children with cancer.”
She believes a laptop computer with software that would allow her to “speak” with a computer voice would enhance her chances of fitting in the larger classes common in a college setting.
“I don't have many friends,” says Miss Schrode who shares a two-family home with her grandparents. “People tend to be uncomfortable around me, so they don't try. My voice may be gone, but I'm no different from anyone else. I just want people to give me a chance.”
Introduction to the Wish List
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How the Wish List works
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