Students at a Maryland high school came up with an ingenious way to allow a disabled teacher’s husband to take their baby on walks by using technology to combine a wheelchair and a stroller.
When Phoenix King was born four months ago, his parents Jeremy and Chelsie faced a difficult road ahead. Jeremy had brain surgery three years ago to remove a brain tumor that left him with “some physical challenges and physical disabilities.”
One big question: How could Jeremy safely take Phoenix for a walk?
Chelsie, a teacher at Bullis School, a private school in Potomac, Maryland, reached out to the head of the school’s technology lab Matt Zigler. Zigler then presented the challenge to his students — including Jacob Zlotnitsky and Ibenka Espinoza, both of whom hope to study astrophysics in college.
The students designed a life-changing invention for Jeremy, who is now able to enjoy the simple pleasure of taking a stroll with his family.
Prototypes for the WheeStroll, as they call it, were made using a 3D printer. The students designed custom brackets and shaped aluminum maker pipe to secure the wheelchair and stroller together.
Their design won two international design awards — and for Jeremy, it’s a godsend. He said, “I never thought I’d be able to do something like this safely. I feel wonderful. I feel ecstatic.”
Zlotnitsky said “seeing the smiles on their faces” was the best part about coming up with the successful design. And “relief that it worked,” added Espinoza.