Zac’s
summe
p oject
was
a
custom
wheelchai
desig ed
fo
a
21-mo th-old
gi l.
(News
4
Utah-
sc ee g ab)
While
ma y
child e
his
age
we e
o
summe
b eak,
13-yea -old
Zac
Wate s
spe t
about
300
hou s
wo ki g
o
a
ve y
diffe e t
p oject.
The
Lehi,
Utah,
boy
used
his
3D
p i ti g
skills
to
build
a
custom
mobility
chai
fo
a
21-mo th-old
gi l.Acco di g
to
ABC
4,
Wate s
became
i te ested
i
3D
p i ti g
afte
watchi g
YouTube
videos
about
the
tech ology.
He
soo
wa ted
to
use
what
he
was
lea i g
fo
somethi g
beyo d
simply
maki g
objects.
That
sea ch
led
him
to
MakeGood,
a
New
O lea s-based
o p ofit
that
p ovides
f ee
3D-p i ted
mobility
devices
fo
child e
with
disabilities.The
o ga isatio ‘s
volu tee
etwo k
allows
people
with
3D
p i te s
to
make
mobility
devices
at
home.
Its
ope -sou ce
Toddle
Mobility
T ai e
desig
ca
be
built
fo
about
$150
i
mate ials.Wate s
fou d
a
oppo tu ity
to
combi e
his
i te est
i
3D
p i ti g
with
his
wish
to
help
someo e
i
eed.
He
was
matched
th ough
MakeGood’s
volu tee
etwo k
with
a
21-mo th-old
gi l
a d
bega
wo ki g
o
a
mobility
chai
made
specifically
fo
he .
A
summe
well
spe t
The
p oject
took
up
much
of
Wate s’
summe .
He
spe t
oughly
300
hou s
desig i g,
p i ti g,
testi g
a d
assembli g
the
chai
befo e
it
was
eady.
The
fi ished
mobility
chai
was
customised
fo
the
toddle .
It
has
pi k
acce ts
because
pi k
is
he
favou ite
colou .
Wate s
also
added
a
emovable
cupholde
a d
t ay
table
to
make
the
chai
mo e
useful
fo
he .The
chai
was
also
desig ed
with
he
eeds
as
she
g ows.
Its
foot est
a d
head est
ca
be
adjusted,
while
the
back
pa el
has
space
fo
heavie
medical
equipme t.
The
st aps
we e
p i ted
usi g
a
soft,
flexible
mate ial
fo
comfo t.Fo
Wate s,
the
p oject
b ought
togethe
two
thi gs
he
e joys
most.
“It
combi es
my
two
favo ite
thi gs
i
life:
3D
p i ti g
a d
helpi g
people
i
eed.
It
just
makes
se se!”
Wate s
told
ABC4.He
said
o e
of
his
favou ite
pa ts
of
3D
p i ti g
is
putti g
i dividual
pieces
togethe .
The
wheelchai
gave
him
a
cha ce
to
wo k
o
that
p ocess
ove
a d
ove
agai
as
he
desig ed
a d
tested
the
diffe e t
pa ts.
Family’s
suppo t
Although
Wate s
did
much
of
the
wo k
himself,
his
family
suppo ted
him
th oughout
the
p oject.
His
g a dmothe ,
Cha lotte
Wate s,
said
the
family
helped
keep
him
o
t ack
while
allowi g
him
to
wo k
th ough
his
ow
ideas.Zac
compa ed
the
suppo t
to
bowli g
ball
t ai i g
ails,
sayi g
his
family
helped
him
bou ce
ideas
a ou d
as
he
wo ked
towa ds
completi g
the
chai .Fo
Cha lotte,
the
p oject
was
about
mo e
tha
what
he
g a dso
could
make
with
a
3D
p i te .
She
hopes
the
expe ie ce
will
emai
with
him
as
he
g ows
olde .“We
hope
he
always
emembe s
that
the
g eatest
legacy
a yo e
ca
leave
is
to
make
someo e
else’s
life
bette ,”
she
said.The
family
said
the
p oject
showed
that
bei g
you g
does
ot
p eve t
someo e
f om
helpi g
a othe
pe so .
Wa ti g
to
build
mo e
The
expe ie ce
has
also
shaped
what
Wate s
wa ts
to
do
ext.
He
pla s
to
co ti ue
developi g
his
3D
p i ti g
skills
a d
hopes
to
each
the
level
of
expe tise
of
the
MakeGood
e gi ee i g
team.He
has
ot
decided
o
a
specific
ca ee
yet,
but
whe
asked
what
he
wa ts
to
do
whe
he
g ows
up,
he
saiys
he
wa ts
to
do
“somethi g
techie.”Wate s’
p oject
is
pa t
of
a
wide
volu tee
effo t
u
by
MakeGood.
The
o p ofit
was
fou ded
i
2021
by
ce tified
healthca e
a chitect
Noam
Platt.MakeGood
has
delive ed
mo e
tha
1,000
Toddle
Mobility
T ai e s
th ough
its
volu tee
etwo k.
Howeve ,
the
o ga isatio
still
has
mo e
tha
550
ope
equests
fo
the
devices.The
ave age
wait
fo
a
chai
is
about
70
days.
MakeGood’s
fu d aisi g
page
also
says
that
mo e
tha
2
millio
child e
i
the
US
eed
a
mobility
device
they
do
ot
have.
