Wrong Christmas Tree, Freeland School Debate Provoke Callers

Berwick Strives For 5 Vs. Manheim Central

By BOBBI DEMPSEY; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Saturday, November 29, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





HAZLETON- Susan Hinterleiter was 28 years old when she knew something was
wrong. The signs were slight at first. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "She would have a little twitch in her shoulder," says her mother, Gerri
Gerhart of Hazleton. "Then she started to have trouble speaking." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Doctors were puzzled. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gerhart wondered if clues might be found by exploring the death of Susan's
father, from whom Gerhart had separated years earlier. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By calling her former sister-in-law, Gerhart learned that Susan's father
had died at 47 of Huntington's disease- an affliction in which portions of the
brain atrophy and die, leading to dementia, inability to walk and speak, and
premature death. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I never knew anyone who had it," Gerhart says. "I didn't even know what it
was. But I learned really quick." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pointed in the right direction, doctors quickly made their diagnosis.
Susan, then a young single mother of three pre-schoolers, had inherited a
disease that would gradually cripple, then kill her. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Because of her difficulty speaking, Susan could not be interviewed. An
adaptive talking device known as a DynaVox would allow her to "talk" to
people, including her sons, and tell them how much they mean to her. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Susan Hinterleiter is one of the 10 individuals and families featured in
the 10th annual Times Leader Book of Dreams fund-raising campaign. This year's
goal is $26,243.28. You can donate using the coupon printed on Page 2A. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Susan, 35, cannot be left alone, so she lives at the Lincoln Manor Personal
Care Home in Hazleton. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 She also works at United Rehabilitation Services. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's good for her," Gerhart says. "It keeps her occupied, which is
important, because depression is a big possibility." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The biggest threat to Susan's state of mind is dealing with the separation
from her children- Michael, 9; Christopher, 8; and Justin, 6. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gerhart says the boys are together in a wonderful foster home, which eases
Susan's mind. But when they visit, Susan becomes frustrated because her
ability to say motherly things is slowly slipping away. Her speech has become
so slurred it is virtually impossible to understand. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It really hurts her," Gerhart says of Susan's inability to ask her sons
about their schoolwork or tell them she loves them. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Susan takes medication that slows the disease's symptoms, but right now
there is no cure. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "You see other people further along with this (disease), and you visualize
how she's going to be," Gerhart says. "But I still have hope." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Gerhart's optimism is fueled by piles of newspaper articles she has
collected on research into Huntington's, and possible cures thereof. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Yet she admits that any cure probably will come too late for her daughter,
so Gerhart wants to help Susan communicate during whatever time she has left.
That's where the DynaVox comes in. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The communication device lets the user pre-program frequently used phrases,
played by touching one key. A keyboard also can be used to type in individual
messages. The user can select from 10 different voices. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Speech therapist Lynn Urban, who works with Susan at the John Heinz
Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine in Hazleton, says Susan's speech right
now is "highly unintelligible." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "She doesn't have the breath support to speak sentences." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Urban says the "DynaMyte" model of DynaVox communicators would be ideal for
Susan. Weighing only 3 pounds, the unit is portable enough for Susan's limited
strength. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Urban believes the machine would have a profound effect on Susan's outlook.
"It would greatly improve her socializing. Right now she avoids many
situations because she knows she will not be understood." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Susan recently tried out a DynaVox and "she was just so thrilled," says
Gerhart. "She could actually talk to people again." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If Susan were to get a DynaVox of her own, Gerhart believes her daughter
would again be able to do things most people take for granted. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think she'd want to tell her sons how she feels," Gerhart says. "And
they'd be so thrilled just for her to read them a story." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/PETE G. WILCOX &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Susan Hinterleiter, who suffers from Huntington's disease and is unable to
speak clearly, would be able to talk with her three boys if she had a device
known as a DynaVox. Hinterleiter, 35, works at United Rehabilitation Services
in Hazleton, packaging electronic components for televisions. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Dream: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 DynaVox: $7,000 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ailing Mom Needs `voice' To Communicate With Sons 
Being Afflicted With 
Huntington's Disease, 
Susan Hinterleiter's Life 
Would Be Much Brighter If 
She Were To Receive A 
Dynavox Talking Device

Ailing Mom Needs `voice' To Communicate With Sons Being Afflicted With Huntington's Disease, Susan Hinterleiter's Life Would Be Much Brighter If She Were To Receive A Dynavox Talking Device