WISH COMES TRUE FOR JACKSON BOY

JACKSON -- Todd Sides' world was made a little bigger and brighter Saturday afternoon.

The 14-year-old boy was diagnosed with osteopetrosis at birth, and has since lost his sight, mobility and some of his hearing to the bone disease.

During one of many trips Todd and his family have made to the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., the Sides signed up to receive a "wish" from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Missouri.

On Saturday afternoon, representatives of the organization gave Sides the one thing he wanted most in the world -- a computer that talks to him.

Todd Haumann, a wish coordinator for the organization, spent "many midnights" designing the IBM computer to meet Todd's specific needs.

"I found that no one person could design the kind of voice synthesizer Todd would need," Haumann said. "So I talked to several individuals all over the country -- including a blind computer programmer in Springfield and people at the University of Missouri-Columbia -- to come up with this."

The foundation, which operates solely on private contributions, seeks out children with life-threatening illnesses and tries to make their lives brighter by giving the child the one thing he or she has always wanted.

Todd's computer came equipped with a Word Perfect program, dozens of games, an encyclopedia disc, a voice synthesizer and speakers and other hardware and software to help him. Make-A-Wish representatives also brought a computer table, a Brother ink-jet printer and paper.

Many of the games on the computer are interactive, allowing Todd to type in the action he wants the main character to take.

"They are totally interactive games, and never work out the same way twice," said Haumann. "These games use the child's imagination and thought processes, rather than coordination and motor skills."

The computer also has the capability of speaking in 99 different voices and a variable speeds.

"This will help him with school and will be a lot of fun for him," said Cheryl Sides, Todd's mother. "All he's ever wanted is a computer.

"When the Make-A-Wish people called and told us we were going to get one, I was overwhelmed, but Todd was even more excited," she said. "This is just what he needs -- it makes him think, but it's still a lot of fun."

Although the computer is not compatible with the one he uses at Jackson Junior High, Todd will be able to use his computer at home to do schoolwork.

"He's very good at keyboarding," said Todd's teacher, Teresa A. Kauffman. "This will really help build his skills."

Haumann, who drove to Cape Girardeau with the computer Friday night from Springfield, spent much of the afternoon showing Todd how to use the computer and the new keyboard.

"This is neat," said Todd of his new toy. "I think I'm going to like it very much."

Todd's mother said that the family travels to St. Jude's about once every two or three months, depending upon her son's health. The boy's disease is so rare that for several years, he was the only patient at the hospital diagnosed as having the progressive bone disease.

"We are really looking forward to this," said Cheryl Sides. "He loves doing things with his hands."

After the computer was set up and Todd had tried out one of the games, the family and Make-A-Wish people all moved out to the kitchen for pizza donated by Domino's and a birthday cake designed by Schnuck's. Todd's birthday was March 22.

"When you're doing something for someone who is visually impaired like Todd, it makes it so much harder to get everything together," his mother said.

"But it was well worth it," added Haumann.

To join or contribute to Make-A-Wish, call Cathy Wills at 334-2565.