O'Brien Technologies, Inc. was created by two families of co-founders, the O'Brien's and the Buchholz's, out of their desire to help a friend from high school. Their friend suffered a stroke, resulting in aphasia, five years ago.

Aphasia is the inability to produce and/or comprehend language due to injury to areas of the brain that are specialized for these functions. Despite the exhausting efforts of their friend to find speech and medical professionals who could help him recover from aphasia through speech therapy and other treatment methods, he has been unable to regain full speech. In addition, there has not been an effective communication tool available to help him with his recovery.

With the urging and support of his wife, Ellen, Dan O'Brien's novel idea, and the desire to see and hear his friend communicate again, started him on a path to create a speech generating device. When visiting with a couple of high school friends, one of them Ed Buchholz, the story came out about Dan's desire to make an effective communication device. Ed became so interested with the idea that he decided to join Dan on the mission. Ed had honed his management skills and expertise in healthcare systems throughout his career, including years of experience with Medicare billing and durable medical equipment . Ed' wife, Jean, joined in as well, and as Ed has said many times, we started to "push the peanut up the hill."

The device was applauded in the medical field among speech therapists, as well as stroke survivors. The work continued with the engagement of a wide variety of individuals dedicated to the cause: businessmen, engineers, a leading neurologist, speech therapists, actual stroke survivors and caretakers. This led to development of even more ways to assist stroke survivors. These individuals felt the same passion of the co-founders, and the "peanut was really on the way up the hill."

The Company-sponsored website, 4StrokeSurvivors.com, was part of Dan's original plan. It represents his heartfelt and passionate effort to have one source that contained the most reliable information, resources and products available today.

The Survivor Speech Companion System, a ground-breaking speech generating device, is now available to help their friend communicate. The system is a highly flexible and adaptable two-device system with technology that can help those just starting their recovery process, as well as intermediate and more advanced stroke survivors. The system may be configured as a training tool by using the website, and the content can be customized to address personal communication needs.

The courage and determination of the stroke survivors, co-survivors and their caregivers, inspire the O'Brien's and Buchholz's to continue dedicating their lives and resources to bridge the gaps in the recovery efforts of these extraordinary individuals we call Survivors.