Faith Altheide, who is deaf and blind, just sent her daughter Denise off to college. But thanks to advances in 3D printing, Faith will be able to connect with Denise in the way she always has — by feeling her face.
Patricia Ingraham, a social worker who’s been with Faith for five years, surprised her with a 3D bust of Denise’s face before the girl left for college.
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Altheide was born deaf and lost her vision to Usher’s disease. Her husband passed away last year, and with Denise heading off to college, she will be living alone.
So Ingraham contacted two teachers — Ron Shaffer and Cory Howard — about the possibility of making a 3D printed model of Denise. They instantly agreed to help out the family.
When asked how she thought her mother would react to the 3D bust, Denise said “she is probably going to be a bit confused at first and will probably cry.”
Denise communicates with her mother by using a combination of sign language and touch, similar to the communication methods Hellen Keller used.
In a video showing Altheide’s reaction, it’s clear that Denise’s prediction was right.