“Brave, determined” three-year-old could learn to communicate through eye gazing technology
Three-year-old Audrey is trialling technology which could help her communicate with loved ones after a shocking diagnosis affected her ability to walk and talk.
South East
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Carrum Downs three-year-old “trapped inside her body” could unlock her words through eye gazing technology after being diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder.
Audrey Marden is one of about 200 girls in Australia who has been diagnosed with Retts syndrome — a condition where the brain does not mature in the way it should.
For most children with this condition their early development appears normal until it slows down or stops altogether and they can experience muscle stiffness, decreased mobility, chewing or swallowing difficulties, loss of communication, seizures and more.
Audrey had a challenging start to life after being born at only 27 weeks and weighing 1.2kg.
After spending the first seven weeks of her life in hospital, she was finally able to come home and was welcomed by her dad Shane, mum Trudy and big brother Jack.
Shane told Leader Audrey developed normally until around 18 months when she started regressing and wasn’t reaching normal milestones.
Following a myriad of tests and scans over the course of 12 months Audrey was diagnosed with Retts syndrome.
“Trudy and I both had a suspicion from our own research, but reality is much different to research,” Shane said.
“That night we celebrated her entry into an exclusive club.”
Today the “brave” girl is making some progress in standing — even taking a couple of steps at times — and is figuring out ways of communicating through her eyes and hands.
“Audrey is a brave, determined, clever little girl whose smile simply beams,” Shane said.
“She knows no different.”
Audrey has completed two sessions with eye gazing technology — where she learns to communicate with a computer through movements in her eyes — and has blown the technicians away.
Shane says this technology could be the key to unlocking her thoughts, wants and needs which “a step closer to Audrey being apart of the world around her”.
“I cannot wait to hear her say Daddy,” Shane said.
Despite her difficulties in communicating, Audrey is the “biggest blessing” at the Lyrebird Early Learning Centre in Carrum Downs and has won over the hearts of the workers, particularly centre manager Mikayla Burton.
“Audrey can and does every single day light up a room and is one of our biggest blessings,” she said.
Ms Burton also said Audrey, who has the “biggest, brightest smile”, can’t walk or talk but “without a doubt” understands what’s going on.
“She responds to the voices of those she has built a relationship with and has a laugh like no other,” she said.
“Audrey cannot walk, has very limited use of her hands and cannot, and unless there’s a cure — will not ever speak.
“She has the perfect brain trapped inside her body.”
Audrey has an opportunity to learn to communicate through the breakthrough technology — the only downside is, it comes with a hefty price tag.
Ms Burton is campaigning to help the Marden family raise the money needed to give their little girl a chance to be able to translate her thoughts to her loved ones and live a happy life with this condition.
The Lyrebird ELC is also hosting a special event — with live music and a silent auction — and all proceeds will be going to the cost of the technology.
If you would like to help Audrey and her family, visit the GoFundMe page.
