This award goes to Jack White, of Shelley, Western Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jack died this year. He was only ten years old but\u00a0kept using\u00a0his\u00a0AAC\u00a0 strategies until the very last days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jack White is a 10 year old boy who has always just wanted to live an \u2018ordinary\u2019 life, but in doing so, has been extraordinary. Jack has mitochondrial disease and due to this, is unable to sit, stand, walk or talk without full support and assistance. Jack has used the PODD communication system as his main means of communicating since he was 3 years old. Through using his PODD, Jack has been able to share his bright mind, wit and imagination and been able to live an extraordinary-ordinary life full of adventure, travel, pirates and superheros, a passion for the ocean and all creatures within it, and plenty of high-jinx spy games – finding the words to call his nasogastric tube his \u2018comms\u2019 for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While visiting Sculptures by the Sea at Cottesloe Beach, WA in the summer of 2013, Jack was inspired by a glass sculpture of a whale shark.\u00a0Set against the turquoise blue waters of the Indian Ocean, the sculpture, named \u2018Transparent Sea\u2019, so captivated Jack that he used his PODD to tell his communication partner that he wanted to write a poem about it.\u00a0Using partner assisted auditory\/visual scanning with a combination of head nods, squeezey big blinks and his voice to indicate yes, Jack navigated his PODD, writing for over an hour.\u00a0He used the same AAC strategies and system to share what inspired him to write his poem.\u00a0 His poem, and inspiration, was later entered in the Sculptures by the Sea writing competition and Jack won first prize. This excerpt from \u2018Jack\u2019s Story\u2019 written by his mother, Charmaine White gives further insight:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c<\/em>The message in Jack<\/em>\u2019<\/em>s poem is profound. Like the whale shark, Jack is unique. <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It took Jack just over an hour to write his poem, all the while, fighting off seizures and fatigue. His poem aptly describes how he yearns to experience the freedom and mobility to move with ease and explore his environment just like the whale shark, as mito has robbed him of the ability to use his legs and he is confined to a wheelchair. On his entry form Jack was asked to comment \u201cWhat inspired your writing piece and why?\u201d he answered: \u201cI cannot speak. I know what it may be like for the whale shark. I\u2019m wanting you to know.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whale Shark I see.<\/em> Finish watching.<\/em> Jack\u2019s poem, along with Jack\u2019s Story, now sits on a plaque alongside \u2018The Transparent Sea\u2019 sculpture as a permanent exhibit at the Maritime Museum in Fremantle, WA. Through his poetry, Jack is raising awareness of AAC. His poem and his story stand next to \u2018The Transparent Sea\u2019 sculpture in a public space, as a permanent visual testament to anyone with Complex Communication Needs trying to have a voice, trying to make their voice heard.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year, Jack was chosen to be the 2014 Variety Bash Ambassador. His involvement as the 2014 Ambassador meant he travelled up to Exmouth, opened the water park there and formally led off the bash.\u00a0Jack also had his dream come true, going out whale watching, spotting his beloved whale sharks among other ocean life.\u00a0Throughout this remarkable experience, Jack of course had access to his PODD and was able to use it in his \u2018professional\u2019 role as Ambassador, chatting with the \u2018bashers\u2019 and tour operators alike, advancing awareness of AAC amongst a wide range of different groups of people within his state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly, after a long battle with illness, Jack recently passed away. That Jack was able to communicate effectively albeit with great effort using his AAC system and strategies right up to his last few days, meant he was, at just 10 years of age, able to grapple with the hardest conversations one can expect to have in life when facing the reality of one\u2019s own mortality. It was during this time when Jack was told about this nomination for an ISAAC Award. It gave him great joy to know that his work would be recognised in the form of an ISAAC nomination. We will send Jack\u2019s\u00a0 parents the award certificate\u00a0and the gift voucher telling them to buy a gift for themselves from Jack.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This award goes to Jack White, of Shelley, Western Australia. Jack died this year. He was only ten years old but\u00a0kept using\u00a0his\u00a0AAC\u00a0 strategies until the very last days. Jack White is a 10 year old boy who has always just wanted to live an \u2018ordinary\u2019 life, but in doing so,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":714,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-830","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n
I\u2019m not dead,<\/em>
I feel. I love affection.<\/em>
Peaceful, I can know.<\/em>
I cannot talk.
I cannot go.<\/em>
Imagine I go to my park, beach, sand.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I swim.<\/em>
I, you, float, whale shark.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
I need to swim<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n