NORWALK, Iowa — Up until mid-August, Robin Leaper spent a lot of her time as the Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Norwalk.  

“I love my job,” she says, “and I hated to leave it.”

Robin is living with ALS, a fatal diagnosis that has made conversations slower, but hasn’t stopped them. Thanks to advances in AI technology — supported by the ALS Association of Iowa — Robin’s own voice can now be heard through her computer, restoring a sense of dignity and connection.

“I was so excited to get my voice back,” she nods as her voice comes out of the speaker, “it’s so much better than the robotic-sounding voice I used before.”

The technology helped Robin keep working, but it also meant the world to her children. “When I first heard it, I teared up,” says her son Keagan. 

“She’s the strongest person I know,” says her daughter Ava. 

Right now, there is no cure for ALS, and researchers are also trying to pinpoint the cause. You can help by being part of the Walk to Defeat ALS this Saturday morning at Prairie Meadows.