Theo M., 75, Washington, PA

Theo Mechtawi, a 76 year-old resident of Washington, PA, had his wish for a face-to-face communicator granted, thanks to several generous donors. Mechtawi became completely deaf two years ago and, because he doesn’t sign, his only way of communicating is using a dry-erase board.  This difficulty in communicating with others has changed him from a very social person who taught at the college level to an isolated, depressed person. Because he lives on a fixed income, he could not afford the cost of the face-to-face communicator on his own.  Mechtawi fled from his home in Beirut, Lebanon in the mid-1980s, leaving behind his business and all he knew to save his life. He became a U.S. citizen and worked in the electronics field for years. Mechtawi has also given to others throughout his life; he “adopted” a single mother and her son here in America and has helped them for years, providing food, clothing, support and love, asking nothing in return. His wish came true during a presentation on Monday, April 6^th at Senior Life in Washington.  Special thanks to sComm for discounting the cost of the device.