Pro-life video of the day: A step forward for special needs kids
by Hans Johnson
It has been said that necessity is the mother of invention. Debbie Elnatan, a music therapist in Israel, is a mother who one day found it a necessity to make an invention of her own after some concerning news about her son Rotem, who has cerebral palsy:
When my son was two years old, I was told by medical professionals that he didn’t know what his legs are and has no consciousness of them. That was an incredibly difficult thing for a mother to hear. I started to walk him day after day, which was a very strenuous task for both of us. Out of my pain and desperation came the idea for the Upsee and I’m delighted to see it come to fruition.
She designed a harness for young special needs children that aided them in sitting up straight, improving breathing. and also freeing their hands. By attaching it to a belt worn by an adult they can stand and walk and play.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/i1HfyUStrww[/youtube]
Email dailyvid@jillstanek.com with your video suggestions.
[HT: Carla; photo via Firefly]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Interesting. I’d love to see a PT’s opinion of her device. My only concern is that without proper training and medical supervision it could be damaging. With both her standing frame and her special walker we had my daughter’s PT tweak it often and make sure we were using it safely. With the super high muscle tension of CP and a lack of use of the lower extremities, I’d imagine there would be even greater concern. I love the price tag though, 1/10 of what it would cost through a “durable medical equipment” company.
A little ingenuity and a whole lot of love!
Imagine if Planned Parenthood devoted just a fraction of their killing energy and legal efforts toward helping parents and children like these!
I write this as someone who has no special needs children so this may be just a big miss:
Mrs. Elnatan is to be commended for her dedication to her son. I am all for assistive devices but what if the parent’s strength and gait are not strong enough to support the child’s weight? This would be even more an issue for a child who has no consciousness of his/her legs, if the parent lost weight-bearing or control over the belt around their waist. For this reason I’d much prefer a stand alone assistive device tailored to the child’s individual ability.
Thank you Hans!!
I love this. Truly. The joy on their faces as they walk?? Priceless.
Looks like great fun.