Michael Luber, a quadriplegic, was suffering from oxygen deprivation, exhaustion, and severe weight loss due to advancing muscular dystrophy. Despite his physician's recommendations, Michael refused to be trached and put on a ventilator. "In my mind, being on a ventilator meant sitting in a room hooked up to a machine and unable to talk. I was horrified at that thought. My career as a therapist depended on being able to speak. Being able to speak was everything to me."

After meeting another individual with MD who used the Passy-Muir Valve, Michael made a decision to have a tracheotomy. "Just knowing about the PMV could make a difference in how people fill out a living will. For me, it made the difference between life and death. You know, when you tell people you're on life support, they think it's so drastic and terrible. In a way, it is. But you can move and talk and be productive. I have a lot more energy, I'm able to speak normally and don't ever get tired talking. I can even swallow more easily. For me, it was a whole new beginning."

Michael Luber, Muscular Dystrophy