@madewithmanus. My Brother Had His Voice Box Removed Due to Advanced Cancer. So We Built Him Wally: An AAC Voice Aid Wrapped Around His Love of Golf.
My Brother Had His Voice Box Removed Due to Advanced Cancer. So Manus and I Built Him an AAC Voice Aid Wrapped Around His Love of Golf.
My brother Jamie just turned 60.
A few days before his birthday, he underwent extensive surgery for advanced head and neck cancer. His surgical team removed his voice box and rebuilt parts of his throat and tongue. The surgery saved his life, but it also changed the way he communicates forever.
Jamie is obsessed with golf.
He knows every player, every tournament, every storyline. Golf isn't just a hobby for him. It's part of who he is.
So while he was recovering in the hospital, I sat down with Manus and built him Wally.
Wally is part golf buddy, part communication tool.
It gives him golf news, tournament schedules, leaderboards, trivia, predictions, and daily conversations about the sport he loves.
But the most important feature is the Voice Aid.
Jamie types what he wants to say, taps a button, and Wally speaks for him.
The nurses use it.
The family uses it.
His friends use it.
And Jamie gets to participate in the conversation instead of sitting silently while everyone talks around him.
When I showed it to him in the hospital, he told me:
"This could open my world."
That moment hit me hard.
I thought I was building a golf app.
What I was really building was a way for my brother to stay connected to the people around him.
I built this with Manus in about a week, and I'm not a developer.
If there's someone in your life facing the loss of speech due to cancer, injury, or illness, I hope this reminds you that technology doesn't have to be complicated to be meaningful.
Sometimes the most important thing you build is for one person.
Happy 60th Birthday, Jamie.
Wally's got you. ⛳❤️
u/madewithmanus
u/manus and I built him something special.