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| Paralysed woman uses Morse code | Paralysed woman uses Morse code |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| A 79-year-old woman who was almost completely paralysed after a fall has learned to talk to her son by tapping out Morse code with her thumb. | A 79-year-old woman who was almost completely paralysed after a fall has learned to talk to her son by tapping out Morse code with her thumb. |
| Sylvia Jones, 79, from Swansea, suffered brain damage five years ago. | Sylvia Jones, 79, from Swansea, suffered brain damage five years ago. |
| But thanks to her schoolgirl knowledge of Morse code, she has broken her silence using sounded dots and dashes. | But thanks to her schoolgirl knowledge of Morse code, she has broken her silence using sounded dots and dashes. |
| Her communication skills were developed with her son Alan, an ex-BBC technician who rigged up a system using an old margarine tub and shower curtain ring. | Her communication skills were developed with her son Alan, an ex-BBC technician who rigged up a system using an old margarine tub and shower curtain ring. |
| He had worked out how they could communicate again after sitting by her bedside for 16 weeks as she recovered from a life-saving operation. | He had worked out how they could communicate again after sitting by her bedside for 16 weeks as she recovered from a life-saving operation. |
| Mrs Jones's injury has left her unable to move, speak or feed herself but her understanding is unimpaired. | Mrs Jones's injury has left her unable to move, speak or feed herself but her understanding is unimpaired. |
| Mr Jones, 52, of the West Cross area of the city, said: "First one eye opened, then the other, then her right thumb moved." | Mr Jones, 52, of the West Cross area of the city, said: "First one eye opened, then the other, then her right thumb moved." |
| He said that after she was moved to a hospital ward he thought about how to communicate with her and remembered her knowledge of Morse code. | He said that after she was moved to a hospital ward he thought about how to communicate with her and remembered her knowledge of Morse code. |
| She can hear and understand what I am saying but she has to use Morse code to answer Alan Jones | She can hear and understand what I am saying but she has to use Morse code to answer Alan Jones |
| "My mother had learned it as a child from her father, my grandfather," he said. | "My mother had learned it as a child from her father, my grandfather," he said. |
| "Of course, she hadn't used it for 60 years so obviously she was rusty, but she remembered it and it all grew from there." | "Of course, she hadn't used it for 60 years so obviously she was rusty, but she remembered it and it all grew from there." |
| Mr Jones, a former BBC World Service technician, used his technical knowledge to make a system using a margarine tub, a shower curtain ring and an old plug. | Mr Jones, a former BBC World Service technician, used his technical knowledge to make a system using a margarine tub, a shower curtain ring and an old plug. |
| Using this, his mother is able to knock out messages in code so they can communicate. | Using this, his mother is able to knock out messages in code so they can communicate. |
| He has also devised an electronic version of snakes and ladders, so his mother can play the board game with him. | He has also devised an electronic version of snakes and ladders, so his mother can play the board game with him. |
| He has grown so skilled he can look at her thumb and understand what she is saying by interpreting her movement. | |
| "I printed out the information I needed about Morse code from the internet and taught myself the alphabet," he said. | "I printed out the information I needed about Morse code from the internet and taught myself the alphabet," he said. |
| The Morse chart in the room at the care home | The Morse chart in the room at the care home |
| "She can hear and understand what I am saying but she has to use Morse code to answer. | "She can hear and understand what I am saying but she has to use Morse code to answer. |
| "The first thing she ever said after I had learned the alphabet was 'How is Fred?' "That was a reference to our pet tortoise who was in the attic hibernating. She was more concerned about the tortoise than herself." | |
| Mr Jones spends up to nine hours a day sitting with his mother at the residential home where she now lives in nearby Gorseinon. | Mr Jones spends up to nine hours a day sitting with his mother at the residential home where she now lives in nearby Gorseinon. |
| His goal is to get her back home permanently and he is now working on a way to translate her coded messages on to a computer screen. | His goal is to get her back home permanently and he is now working on a way to translate her coded messages on to a computer screen. |
| "That will mean what she taps out will be able to be read by anyone present, allowing her to have conversations with other people." | "That will mean what she taps out will be able to be read by anyone present, allowing her to have conversations with other people." |