SteadyScrib

Mary Ann

My brother-in-law, Ron, has Parkinson’s.  He fights a valiant battle each day with dignity and grace.  Everything is hard, and each day the disease steals a little more from him.  As a family, we are always looking for ways to make things easier for him.

Parkinson is a neurological disease that has many symptoms, and it seems that each person has a different set of them.  So, when I came across SteadyScrib, I thought we had found an answer to a common challenge for Ron and many other Parkinson’s patients – micrographia. The handwriting is often so small that you can hardly read it.  

SteadyScrib was developed by two college students, Izzy Mokotoff and Alexis Chan, from Northwestern University.  Izzy had a grandfather with Parkinson and handwriting was difficult for him.  Alexis was a biomedical engineering student and had the skills to develop a new product.  They set out to solve the problem.  They eventually developed the prototype, applied for a patient, and proceeded to manufacturing.  SteadyScrib was an idea that became a reality thanks to two young, innovative, passionate women.  

It is a writing system that uses a magnetic clip board and a pen that is weighted, magnetic, and has a special grip that is like the ones that young children use to gain pencil control.  I went on the waiting list to get one once the pens were available for purchase.  Patience was needed because all the steps to production take time.  Eventually, the little company informed me the pens were available.  I ordered one.  It arrived shortly thereafter.

I took the pen to Ron and sat with him as he gave it a test drive.  He was able to print with larger, readable letters.  You wouldn’t know he had a writing challenge.  Then he wrote his signature, and it was almost perfect.  It was miraculous.  The pen worked.  I do however believe a little practice is needed to perfect one’s handwriting.  It is that old round, round, ready, write that we all did in elementary school when it was just reading, writing, and arithmetic. 

This blog is a PSA today.  If you know anyone with Parkinson’s or are dealing with it with a family member, this pen seems to work well for indecipherable handwriting. This brings back some control and independence to the Parkinson’s patient.  Everyone should have a good strong signature – Hey, Gen Z or whoever, hear this!  This is coming from an elementary teacher who taught penmanship!!

SteadyScrib Pros – This is a relatively easy system.  The materials are well-made.  It works, and it did for Ron!  

SteadyScrib Cons – It is a bit pricey at $75.00.  It could get cheaper if more are produced.  This is a small operation.  Some of the fee is given to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or another Parkinson’s group of your choosing. They now have gel ink cartridge replacements – 3 for $15.00.  if it works, it is worth the price regardless.  They do offer a payment system.  

Contact Information – SteadyScrib.com is the website.  You can order the pen and replacements cartridges from the site.  There is lots of additional information available, testimonials, and the story behind the invention.   

Thank you, Izzy and Alexis for changing the world and making it better for Parkinson’s patients.