IDAHO FALLS – A company that makes a speech generation tablet is donating a $9,000 device to a local disabled girl after her tablet disappeared last month.
EastIdahoNews.com first told you about Yaretzi Gudino’s speech disabilities on June 5th.
“She isn’t able to talk,” Yaretzi’s mother, Bianca Gudino, said. “She knows sign language, but obviously not everybody knows sign language.”
Gudino waited three years to get the expensive Tobii DynaVox 10.
Medicaid finally approved the device and the Gudino’s received the DynaVox in March. But, a few weeks later, it disappeared.
“She was picked up from school and transported to Premier Therapy,” Gudino said. “By the time she got to Premier Therapy the device was gone.”
Rollin’ Shuttle, the company transporting Yaretzi, tells Gudino they don’t know what happened to the device.
EastIdahoNews.com contacted Rollin’ Shuttle for comment and our messages haven’t been returned.
Police are investigating and Gubino thought all hope was lost until the maker of the DynaVox 10 saw our story.
“It’s just so unfair what had happened,” Tara Rudnicki, the president of Tobii DynaVox North America said. “We saw it and I said, ‘We gotta get this girl her voice back.’ We were thrilled to be able to do that.”
Yaretzi now has a new DynaVox 10. It’s something her therapist says is critical for communication.
“She was unable to do that until this device arrived,” Premier Therapist Matt Foster said. “Now that she has a new device to work on I’m just overjoyed. This is a great ending to the story.”
Yaretzi’s mother, Bianca, said the gift from Tobii DynaVox is something she’ll be forever thankful for.
“I started crying,” Gudino said. ” It was very emotional. Thank you very much. I just feel very grateful.”
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