P
ASSY
-M
UIR
®
T
RACHEOSTOMY
& V
ENTILATOR
S
WALLOWING
AND
S
PEAKING
V
ALVES
P
ATIENT
E
DUCATION
H
ANDBOOK
David A. Muir
Inventor of the Passy-Muir Tracheostomy & Ventilator
Swallowing and Speaking Valves
“I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age five. Over the years I
gradually weakened and became a quadriplegic. I was twenty-three and studying
biochemical engineering in college when I had a respiratory arrest and became
ventilator dependent. I had accepted that I could not walk and I accepted the
other difficulties of my disease. However, when I realized I could not talk, I
wanted to give up. Then I realized I was not ready yet. I said to myself, ‘Wait a
minute, you’ve never given up this easily before and you’re not going to this
time. There has to be a way around this problem.’ These thoughts became my
theme for three agonizing months while I was working on my design for the
speaking valve. As corny as it sounds, every rain cloud has a silver lining. This
is absolutely true. Ask me, I know first hand.
It has been very rewarding to know my valve has helped to improve the quality
of life for so many people.”
David A. Muir
© Passy-Muir, Inc.
All rights reserved.
0050
PH/R0718
EMERGO EUROPE
Prinsessegracht 20
2514 AP The Hague
The Netherlands
