WHITE HOUSE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Most of us use our voices to communicate our daily needs and wants.
For those who are non-verbal, there are alternate forms of communication. Sometimes those can be costly, but the reward is giving someone who is non-verbal the voice they so very much need.
"He has always been non-verbal," said Sherri Stem, the adoptive mother of Jonathan Hudgins.
Jonathan is a student at H.B. Williams Elementary School in Sumner County.
"My sister adopted him," Stem said. "He was brought home to her at birth. She passed away suddenly when he was seven. And I as his aunt, we adopted him when he was seven."
Hudgins is now 11, and he recently given one of the greatest gifts.
"When he found out about it, he was going to the mailbox everyday looking for this device and so at the time, he didn't know that it wasn't even on its way," Stem said.
Hudgins was given a communications device. It looks like a tablet and helps him communicate with those around him.
"Everything is in different groups and categories, and so he's trying to learn how to navigate and get to what he wants," said Misty Wright, a speech pathologist in the school system.
This one in particular, Hudgins has only had for a couple of weeks. The cost? The school system says it's about $5,000.
"They've given him a voice that's consistent and reliable," Wright said.
Watch him use the device in the player above.
"He needed the gift of communication. And that's what this device gives him," said Susan Hickman with the Shelby Foundation.
The foundation helps provide programs and services to individuals with various disabilities. The Shelby Foundation provided Hudgins with this device, which they've also been able to provide for other students in the pastl. They're hoping to provide it for more students in the future.
"To give them a voice. To give them the ability to communicate, to give them the ability to say what they want and what they need," said Joey Hickman. "What it makes him feel like on the inside is the most important thing."
If you want to learn more or donate to the Shelby Foundation, visit their website. You can also find them on Facebook.
I think we can all remember our favorite teachers. In so many ways they leave an imprint on our lives. Get your tissue ready for Forrest Sanders' story on Ms. McMurray. She has poured so much into her students, and they are returning the love when it's needed most.
-Carrie Sharp
