Copyright 2005 McClatchy Newspapers Inc.
The Herald (Rock Hill, S.C.)
September 13, 2005 Tuesday FINAL EDITION
SECTION: LIFESTYLES; Pg. 1D
LENGTH: 558 words
HEADLINE: Man adapts as ALS takes speech
BYLINE: By Tamara Ford / The Herald
When Fred Ferrell spoke, sometimes he stuttered through conversations.
The Rock Hill resident, diagnosed with a form of ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, found it difficult to make his words flow freely.
Now that has become a thing of the past. His ability to speak clearly has been aided by a device he invented - a handheld piece of aluminum he calls the "Press-N-Speak."
"Not very many people in my condition can say one word," said Ferrell, 67, who glides the tip of his index finger across holes on the piece while he speaks.
The simple device took Ferrell, who spent years in the fabrication business, about three years to perfect. He made it in his machine shop.
For 12 years, Ferrell has been living with primary lateral sclerosis, a form of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The disease is a progressive neurodegenerative condition; it affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Ferrell uses a wheelchair to get around and he is able to exercise in the local YMCA's water walking program.
As the disease progressed, Ferrell's speech took a turn for the worse. He sought help from speech therapists.
One speech therapist suggested a way for Ferrell to slow down his speech, by drawing circles on a piece of cardboard. Each time he would say a word, Ferrell was instructed to touch one circle at a time on the cardboard.
The technique worked, but the cardboard was always getting dirty, torn or wet.
After many modifications, Ferrell came up with his invention called the Press-N-Speak. It is similar to what his speech therapist created on the cardboard. But this device is made of aluminum.
"I needed something that would last and always be close at hand," said Ferrell, who wears the device on a small rope around his neck. "It will never rust, therefore you won't get it on your clothes and it never wears out. It don't matter if it's wet."
So far, Ferrell has made 30 of the devices and wants to share them with others. Ferrell said they would work best for those in the early stages of ALS or for those who may need help slowing down their speech.
Three months ago, he showed a friend, Bobby Brock, what he had created and how it worked. Brock was amazed.
"This is a man that's still got the motivation and drive to do something brand new," said Brock, who met Ferrell through his lawn mower repair service a few years ago. "If he was doing something, then I needed to help him. I want him to achieve what his intentions were."
Ferrell has taken his Press-N-Speak to Amy Wright, a speech-language pathologist at Carolinas Neuromusculcar ALS Center in Charlotte.
"I've used tools similar to this one in the past," said Wright, who added the device is very helpful for those with ALS. "I most definitely admire his ingenuity for coming up with something so practical. We used low-tech tools, but no one has put it in a package like this."
While Ferrell says there's not much doctors can do about his condition, he continues to make the device with the hope others will someday use it.
Want to know more?
For more information on the Press-N-Speak, call Bobby Brock at (803) 370-5738 or write to Press-N-Speak, 2610 Firetower Road, Rock Hill, SC 29730. The retail price for the device is $ 14.