ORMOND BEACH -- Tom Davis stared at his gift, a wheelchair resting in
the middle of his living room.

Friends and colleagues demonstrated on a laptop computer how a new,
voice-producing software program they created for him would help in the
coming months, when he can no longer walk or talk.

Smiling, Davis hugged and thanked his houseful of surprise guests for
their generosity and thoughtfulness. Not a tear was shed.

It was a moment of joy in what will surely be a sad journey. Davis, a
70-year-old former math professor at Daytona Beach Community College,
was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis last November.

Better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, the terminal illness shuts down
the body, while the mind remains sharp and fully functional.

"Oh, this is so great of you guys," Davis said, holding the hand of his
wife, Kathy, a college counselor who is blind. "What you've done is
spectacular."

Since June, Bada Dehili, a fellow math professor at DBCC, led a team
that worked weekends and late nights for no pay, looking to create a
system to allow Davis to communicate his thoughts, concerns and wishes
audibly to his sightless wife, doctors and friends.

"We decided that this disease wasn't going to shut you up," Dehili said,
joking with his gregarious friend of 15 years.

Kathy Davis laughed and added: "I couldn't handle the quiet."

Dehili said the PE Communicator software program, developed by the
14-person Ormond Beach company he heads, Power Education Inc., will give
Davis the ability to "talk" when he no longer can.

"I got some advice from doctors and Kathy about their disabilities and
abilities," Dehili said. "This helps him in a miniscule way. But maybe
it will help him so life is enjoyable."

With a simple tap of a switch, Davis will be capable of telling people
anything he wants from several menus that can hold an unlimited number
of pre-loaded, individualized commands. Printed words on a screen will
be transformed into audible requests, comments and statements like: "I
am feeling no pain," "I like watching the Seminoles beat the Gators"
and "I love you, Kathy," Davis' first request for the computer.

The personalized commands are stored under categories such as: doctor,
shopping, food, entertainment and personal needs. There are also "help"
and "911" icons, as well as a directory of single words so Davis can
make impromptu comments.

"I told Tom that even if they put a tube down his throat, You are going
to talk to me. You are not going to be silent,' " Dehili said. "He'll be
able to talk until the end."

Dehili already is preparing another personalized software program for
a local boy with cerebral palsy, and he said a hospital is interested
in buying a prototype for patients, which he expects to sell for
between $500 and $1,000.

"We'd like to break even on this," he said. "We just want to cover
costs."

Davis, a religious man, sees a purpose for his contracting the disease.
He didn't have to look any further for proof than the laptop computer
and wheelchair, a gift to him and maybe countless others in the future.

"It's just amazing," Davis said, looking at the wheelchair. "But what's
even more amazing are the people behind it."

PHOTO CAPTION: On Wednesday, Bada Dehili, at left, shows Tom and Kathy Davis of Ormond Beach how to use a computer he designed to help Tom communicate when the effects of ALS ultimately rob him of the power of speech. The unit includes special voice-activated software and will be mounted on a
wheelchair.