mᵻkˈeɪlə ˈɔːlsoʊ ɪnsˈɪstᵻd ˌɔn kəntˈɪnjuːɪŋ tə tɹˈiːt hɜːɹ ɪŋkəpˈæsᵻtˌeɪɾᵻd sˈʌn æz ɐ hjˈuːmən bˈiːɪŋ ænd nˌɑːɾə "vˈɛdʒɪɾəbəl", hˈɛlpɪŋ hˌɪm dɪvˈaɪz ɐ mˈiːnz ʌv kəmjˈuːnᵻkˌeɪɾɪŋ wɪð hɜː ænd ˈʌðɚz θɹuː ðə blˈɪŋkɪŋ ʌv hɪz ˈaɪz ænd ðə wˈɪɡlɪŋ ʌv hɪz fˈɪŋɡɚz.
Michaela also insisted on continuing to treat her incapacitated son as a human being and not a "vegetable", helping him devise a means of communicating with her and others through the blinking of his eyes and the wiggling of his fingers.