"I didn't appreciate the value of having a voice until I spent three weeks in intensive care without mine. It was an emotionally trying experience for me until I got my Passy-Muir Valve (PMV). Though it took a little time to accustom myself to the valve, I speak as freely and easily now as I ever did before. Four years after my surgery I completed my BA degree in English/creative writing.

"The PMV allowed me to take part in class discussions, participate in group activities, make oral presentations, and fill my social calendar with friends who might not otherwise have given me a chance. I am now a graduate student, earning a dual MA/MFA in English/creative writing and in literature. Without my Passy-Muir Valve I would not be able to use the speech recognition software I purchased which enables me, a writer, to type. And, hey, I just got an A on a 20 minute oral presentation that I made in my Victorian literature class!"

Julie M. Jones, Muscular Dystrophy