On 24th December, 86 year-old Karen-Elisa suffered a blood clot which ended with her right side being paralyzed. Neither the hospital nor the rehabilitation centre where she was staying had telephone facilities within the patients' rooms, so Karen-Elisa's nephew, Bill Linnane, immediately purchased a cell phone for her. Since Karen-Elisa cannot see very well, he chose one with the largest buttons available, but unfortunately even this model proved to be simply to difficult for her to use effectively.
On the morning of Jan 31, Bill received a phone call, but his answering machine was already recording when he finally got to the phone. It was his aunt, using the ward's public telephone, saying, “I am completely cut off from any contact. I have tried to get someone, anyone, but nobody is answering me. I need help right now. I don’t know what to do. If anyone is hearing this please get me help right away!”
Bill was furious that his aunt didn't have her own phone, since that is what she was used to at home. The next three hours were really frustrating, as it turned out to be nearly impossible for Bill to enter the rehabilitation facility during the night hours. When he finally found his aunt, she was almost lifeless.
It was very shortly thereafter that Bill discovered Burnside Telecom's 'Mobilizer' Fixed Cellular Terminal, a device that can turn any standard telephone into a mobile phone. Bill took the device up to his aunt (still bedridden from all the shock), along with her own landline telephone which had all her important speed-dial numbers stored in it, and set the entire system up in less than five minutes. The SIM card slotted into the Mobilizer and they were up and running. He hadn't even read the instructions.
In the weeks since, Karen-Elisa has regained some limited use of her right arm, but still not enough to use a traditional mobile phone. However, by using the Burnside, she can now call with confidence and security from her own phone, with its extra-large keypad and familiar feel.
