Saturday, with the help of Petoskey High School Paladin Robotics team and volunteers, two children with disabilities are having life-changing experiences.
It’s the start of the program at Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District.
The program re-engineers an electric car for children with disabilities to operate.
9&10’s Megan Woods was there and explains why Saturday is a day to remember for everyone involved.
“It’s nothing compared to something this awesome.”
That’s how the mother of Mart Korte, Kasi Fyke, describes seeing her three year old son, do what she thought was impossible.
She says,”He is going to love it. Once he knows he can do something he is pumped and it’s so awesome to see him happy and smile even if he can stop and go that’s awesome.”
Creating a ride for these two kids to drive with a push of a head and hand took some creative thinking and hard work.
Occupational Therapist at Charlevoix-Emmet Intermediate School District, Mary Johnson says, “These are cars off the shelf, commercially available and then we’re taking the electrical wiring from the gas pedal and attaching it to a large button switch and we’re building supports for their positioning.”
Two electricians, family, friends and the Petoskey High School robotics team all chipped in to help these kids drive the extra mile.
Annie Johnson is a senior on the Paladin Robotics Team and says, “A lot of the times when we’re at a competition it’s not something that impacts anyone else so it’s really amazing to see our kids learn the skills of robotics and apply something that’s not just impacting their life but we really monumentally changing two kids’ lives.”
And it’s not just the drive that goes a long way.
Mary Johnson says, “We thought about the mobility aspect and the physical and cognitive development, but there’s a huge social piece to this because they’re doing something that other kids their age are doing and so it gives them access to that social world they should have.”
Mart’s mother, Kasi says, “It’s just something else more independent that he can do. He likes to do things independently, it’s tough at times, but it’s nice to know that it’s something out there that he can do.”
Saturday was just the start the intermediate school district is hoping to help more children in the near future.
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