Katie loves the Beast

At 11 a.m. each weekday, Karen Sheridan flips the TV to CBS. As the opening to “The Price is Right” comes on from across the room, her daughter, Katie's, eyes widened, her face lights up and she gets a smile that stretches almost from ear to ear.

“She loves Bob Barker,” Karen said. “When she's extremely happy, she lights up a room.”

Katie, 15, has carbohydrate deficient glycoprotein syndrome, a genetic metabolism disorder that affects how the body breaks down sugars, Karen said. Katie therefore cannot speak, walk and must be tube fed. She started having seizures when she was just 5. To communicate, she uses yes, no cards or eye gazes to point out something she wants.