Dear Prentke-Romich, I Love You

Micah's Voice arrived today.

The emotions that came with that box were overwhelming. I wanted to both rip it open and set it on a pedestal for all the world to see. I wanted to laugh, and cry, and dance. After six months of fighting the insurance company, I have proof that we prevailed. And as satisfying as that is in and of itself, that feeling is nothing compared to the fact that Micah will have a Go Green Voice of his very own for the rest of his life.

His very own.

I wanted to laugh. And cry. And dance.

I opened the box and reverently lifted out the Voice of my son. I held it in my hands, just imagining the possibilities it held. I thought of how far he'd come already, and how much more we'd all learn with this new Voice. Micah can communicate with us. And I have Prentke-Romich to thank. Technology is amazing.

I wanted to laugh. And cry. And dance.

I emptied the box in search of the power cord so that I could turn it on and start programming it. I wanted Micah to be able to use it as soon as he got home from school. I unpacked a carrying case. And a strap for said case. And a book about PCS symbols.

Suddenly the feelings of laughter and dancing froze. The tears were making their way to the forefront with a vengeance. As was confusion. We requested these things, but the insurance denied them. They weren't medically necessary. It's not a biggie and we didn't really need them. Except the PCS symbols, and we were ready to spring for those ourselves.

(PCS symbols are pictures of sign language and simple art for kids like Micah to better communicate with. It helps him both learn signs and reinforce signing. And it makes the Voice easier to use for him. Truly it's a bonus worth spending money on.)

I called Prentke-Romich. Those things didn't belong to us because I know for a fact that the insurance denied them. I got the paperwork in the mail. But Prentke-Romich assured me that they were mine to keep. They were "low dollar" items and it was the least they could do for me. These things total several hundred dollars.

I laughed. I cried. I danced. And I praised my God.

Thank you, Prentke-Romich. We are overwhelmed with your generosity.


Lord, You are so good to us. We are so undeserving. And yet You just keep blessing us with your goodness. Thank You, God. I am humbled. Again.

25 comments:

Danyele Easterhaus said...

i can't wait to hear micah's voice...and hear him say thank you someday to PR.

that little dude is more precious than life itself! and what a great company that PR is...they must know the fab kiddo micah is!

Anonymous said...

that was so powerful! As a mother of a non-verbal child, I can deeply connect with what you are saying. My eyes well up with tears at the possibility of hearing my own son's Voice someday.
Thank you for sharing :)
Jennifer
aka special_needs (twitter)

Karen said...

Jennifer - it'll happen. And it'll be amazing.

Flea said...

Karen! How exciting! How wonderful! God is truly marvelous!

So was the power cord in the box?

AutoSysGene said...

Seriously, PR is really impressing me. Should I ever in my life have who needs special equipment as Micah does I will be sending them to PR...WTG PR!!

Can't wait to read your new stories about Micah and his NEW Voice!

Jennifer said...

Thank you Lord, and thank you PR. The Lord does truely bless.

And you get to hear Micah's voice as well. Can the day get any better?

~Jennifer
http://followingmycatracho.blogspot.com

Krista said...

I am so happy for you! I was feeling so disheartened when you said they didn't belong to you and so happy it ended up being yours after all! So generous of the company and yes, a true blessing of a Father in Heaven who knows your needs!

Laski said...

THIS is such a good day.

"I wanted to laugh. And cry. And dance."

And I'll do it right here with you!!!

Karen said...

I'm crying happy tears over here.

CC said...

WOW. What a generous gift. PR rocks. They not only blessed you, but now I am that much more likely to recommend their products to my students' families. Good move PR.

the planet of janet said...

this. is. flippin'. AWESOME.

HalfAsstic.com said...

That is SO wonderful! I am so humbled, also just knowing how much this means to Micah and your whole family. And so happy for you! You truly are blessed!

The Sports Mama said...

You are one of those rare people who give generously, with no thought other than to do what you can for someone. And you teach that same generosity to your children, who will go on to teach it to theirs. Because you don't do it for selfish reasons, you are honestly, truly, deeply amazed when someone gives generously to you.

But you are VERY deserving, my friend.

I am so happy for you and Sam, who will be able to "hear" your son tell you he loves you. I am happy for Becky, Josh and Luke, who will be able to hear their baby brother tell them to leave Woody alone!

And I am beyond happy for Micah, who will now forever be able to tell those he loves just how much they mean to him. Even if that loving statement is disguised as a request for more ice cream. :)

Debbie in CA : ) said...

Praise the Lord . . . (nothing else need be said).

Viv said...

How wonderful! You have made my day by sharing.

caramama said...

Yea!!! Yea!!!! Hip Hip Hooray!!!! I'm SOOOOO happy for you guys!

And Yea for PR!!!! They are truly wonderful!

Burgh Baby said...

Good things happen to good people. ;-)

JennyH said...

YAY!! So happy for you guys! Wow- what a company to give those things to you for free!!

Michelle said...

Oh Karen! I'm so happy for you. I'm doing my own little dance over here, but it's surely much smaller than yours. I can't wait to see how it goes for Mr Micah! YAY Prentke-Romich!

Brandie said...

That is so amazing that they sent you the "extras". My heart is smiling. I, too, love it when good things happen to good people :)

Anonymous said...

Karen, I am so happy for your boy and your family and for you. Spread the good news, indeed. What a fantastic company.

ciao,
rpm

Kaytabug said...

I was moved to tears.
I'm so happy for you!!

SunflowerStories said...

can't think of a better gift or one to receive it!

Michelle said...

What a wonderfully amazing company; I'm so thrilled for you all!

CC said...

I have a "new to me" student with a Vantage this year. And I went to a training 2 weeks ago. And now, I re-remember why I love these devices so much!!! And I have another student trialing a Springboard and doing GREAT. I hope he ends up with one. :) (and I really hope the support staff will help these guys use their devices more)