PALATINE, Ill. — A 4-year-old battling a rare disease was honored among other students Thursday night for her determination to use technology to open up communication.
Mia Polacek, of Round Lake, was born with Edwards’ syndrome, also known as trisomy 18. Those affected are born with an extra copy of the chromosome number 18.
The genetic condition affects a multitude of things like physical development, speech and is very rare.
Her parents told WGN News Mia is sassy and full of life. In today’s day and age, a lot of technology exists to help people with special needs communicate and do many other things.
Mia has been at the forefront of that at the tender age of four. She’s been working with innovative eye gaze technology software to be able to express herself and the results have astonished her parents.
“It’s meant the world to me,” mother Jeanna Polacek said. “To have her be able to say ‘I love you,’ to have her be able to express herself — it’s motivated others to try to device.”
That’s what makes her parents smile the most. Others at her school, Laremont, have started to use the equipment.
“She’s shocked her school with the ability to use it at such a young age,” Polacek said. “They’ve brought it up more to other kids to give them opportunities — Mia proved you don’t know until you give them a chance.”
It works by tracking the person’s eye movement when looking at a tablet. It starts slow, but eventually those using it can communicate with full sentences and do a variety of other things.
To honor her courage using the technology, the Tinley Park-based company Infintec honored Mia and ten other students Thursday night for “mastery of their assistive technology equipment to achieve infinite potential and to create a life without limits.”
They showed the following video and Mia was able to give a speech.
“I think Mia has really shown that just like any typical person, communication starts early on and it’s very important. It’s still the same for people with special needs,” Polacek said. “Some might get lost with that and say that starts at 6, 7, 8 years old — but Mia has shown you can do this at younger ages. She has really opened people’s eyes.”
Her parents also took action to advocate. A little over a year ago, they help found the Edwards’ Syndrome Association. Its mission is to reach out to other parents and children affected by sending gift packages and “cards of hope.”
Visit here to learn more about the association’s programs.
