“HI Christine: I just finished reading your book that I bought at the YVHS70 Class reunion at Castle Rock Park. It is a powerful book. You must be very proud of the work you, your husband, and Miguel put into Mario, and, with your encouragement, got so many others involved with working with Mario.

Unfortunately, that is what it takes to heal the brain-injured. So many families expect the health care providers to bring about that kind of transformational change with just their purchase of health insurance.
I was impressed with the affirmations that you continually said to Mario, and your constant positive messages to the whole health care providing volunteers that you commandeered!

You and your husband are saints! I wish your family continued recovery and success in his getting an independent living situation. Thank you for writing the book.

I think I told you that I am a speech therapist that works for the public schools. You mentioned something about Mario having trouble with his palate?? I think you must mean his "soft palate" a muscle at the end of the hard (bony) palate that can regulate the air flow going out the mouth or out the nose. It makes sense that he would have lost the ability to control that muscle. It would definitely make a difference in his overall intelligibility. People (children) who have cleft palates at birth have to work on developing that muscle. If you googled Cleft Palate therapy you might get something. Or if you still see a speech therapist you might ask him/her what they know or could find out for you. At this point in Mario’s rehab, he would have to want to improve that part of his speech. Using visualization with humming, going from open mouth, "Ahh" sound to slowly closing the mouth and humming a "mmm" sound (nasalized) would show you the difference in sound. Another technique is to say,"hah!" firmly. That causes the velum (soft palate) to tense up and you can see it in a mirror if you say, "Hah" in the mirror looking at your throat.

It is all about getting volitional control of the muscle. Anyway, good luck.

I enjoyed meeting you at the reunion and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Take care.”
by Margo