She's since recovered and is able to talk. But she describes an intense loneliness and frustration at being a prisoner in her own body. When she was finally able to use an expensive, specialized computer to communicate by slightly moving her fingers, it was an amazing encouragement.
Part of the problem right now is that these input systems are extremely expensive and specialized. Even if the family can afford to pay for one, they still have to spend time researching which system is the best.
I imagine a free, open-source system that will allow for rapid eyetracking-based writing. Say, a live cd that contains many commercial webcam drivers and boots into a system like Dasher (http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/dasher/DasherSummary2.htm...).
This would provide instant communication, however crude, to a person who has recently been through a tragic experience.
Is webcam eye-tracking imperfect? Yes. Do commercial systems exist that solve this problem better? Yes. But the idea here is to have something someone could put into hardware they already have to get _something_ working right away.
OpenGazer: http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/opengazer/ A nice list of eye trackers: http://www.cogain.org/wiki/Eye_Trackers#Open_source_gaze_tra...
*Yes, someone would have to help the paralyzed put the cd into the tray and boot the computer
[1]: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/conniemchaddad/mystory