Robotics team gifts customized car to local girl with disabilities
Members of the robotics club at Westford Academy recently gifted a customized battery-powered car to a local child with mobility challenges.Club adviser Stephen Wojcik described some of the modifications made.”Initially, it was pedal-driven, and so we had to go in and rewire everything,” he said. “We added a little top part here to the seat to protect the back of her head. We also added some padding around the sides.”The car turned out to be a perfect fit for a 5-year-old named Ava, who squealed with delight during her test drive. Her mother, Sarah Stuart Kiernan, said the squeal says it all.”It was better than I really could ever have expected it to be,” Kiernan said. “That’s her happy squeal and that meant she’s just absolutely in heaven.”The robotics club connected with Ava through her physical therapist, Hannah McQuillan.”(Ava) definitely has the need for speed,” McQuillan said. “She absolutely loves being mobile and her condition prevents her from being as mobile as she’d like to be, and especially as independent as she’d like to be.”Ava was born with a genetic neurological disorder called CTNNB1. The condition impacts things like speech and motor skills. McQuillan said the motorized car could be a benefit to Ava in many ways.”Cognitive development, social development, and it can also result in improvements in coordination, balance, strength,” she said.Kiernan described the gift as a huge win for their family and the robotics club.”I feel like it’s a two-way street,” she said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to learn about doing something like this and for Ava to give them something in return of getting to meet somebody who has differences, and I think as the world hopefully keeps evolving, being able to be more accepting of that.”The original toy car and instructions to customize it were provided by a program called GoBabyGo.Find more information about the Westford Academy robotics club and other outreach the team does in the community here.
Members of the robotics club at Westford Academy recently gifted a customized battery-powered car to a local child with mobility challenges.
Club adviser Stephen Wojcik described some of the modifications made.
“Initially, it was pedal-driven, and so we had to go in and rewire everything,” he said. “We added a little top part here to the seat to protect the back of her head. We also added some padding around the sides.”
The car turned out to be a perfect fit for a 5-year-old named Ava, who squealed with delight during her test drive. Her mother, Sarah Stuart Kiernan, said the squeal says it all.
“It was better than I really could ever have expected it to be,” Kiernan said. “That’s her happy squeal and that meant she’s just absolutely in heaven.”
The robotics club connected with Ava through her physical therapist, Hannah McQuillan.
“(Ava) definitely has the need for speed,” McQuillan said. “She absolutely loves being mobile and her condition prevents her from being as mobile as she’d like to be, and especially as independent as she’d like to be.”
Ava was born with a genetic neurological disorder called CTNNB1. The condition impacts things like speech and motor skills. McQuillan said the motorized car could be a benefit to Ava in many ways.
“Cognitive development, social development, and it can also result in improvements in coordination, balance, strength,” she said.
Kiernan described the gift as a huge win for their family and the robotics club.
“I feel like it’s a two-way street,” she said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to learn about doing something like this and for Ava to give them something in return of getting to meet somebody who has differences, and I think as the world hopefully keeps evolving, being able to be more accepting of that.”
The original toy car and instructions to customize it were provided by a program called GoBabyGo.
Find more information about the Westford Academy robotics club and other outreach the team does in the community here.
