Santiago was stylin’.
The 2 ½-year-old struck the classic cruiser’s pose – one hand on the wheel, one arm resting on the door – as he test drove his new motorized car in front of a crowd of delighted family members and students.
On Aug. 10, Santiago was one of six children with developmental disabilities who got new, tricked out toy cars designed to safely allow them more mobility courtesy of UNMC physical therapy students and University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska at Omaha engineering students.
The Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI) Guild and Olsson Associates, a local engineering firm, funded the Go Baby Go! Nebraska partnership with grants to the MMI Department of Physical Therapy. The national program provides modified ride-on cars for kids with developmental disabilities.
MMI partnered with Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, the College of Allied Health Professions’ Students of the University of Nebraska American Physical Therapy Association (SUN-APTA), and an engineering student group from UNL.
The result rocked. And, more importantly, rolled.
About 50 students took part, said Sandra Willett, interim director of physical therapy at MMI.
Haley Hansen, a third-year physical therapy student, said her classmates were excited when they learned about the project.
“It’s really fun, and we’re learning a lot,” she said, though she conceded it was “a lot harder to put these toy cars together in general.”
Certainly the families weren’t complaining.
“I love the program, and we are so excited to get to be a part of this,” said Amanda Lopez, Santiago’s mother. “My whole family is ecstatic and just excited to be here.”
Madeline Hauschild, age 3 ½, was quick to discover that hitting the big red button of the steering wheel, specially placed there and wired by the students, would move her forward.
“She loves it, so I’m enjoying just watching her having fun,” said her mom, Kelly Hauschild.
As the day wound down, Willett said she was ecstatic over the event’s success.
“You can feel the joy in the room,” she said.
Physical therapy students watch as Madeline Hauschild, age 3 ½ goes for a test drive.