A mom of a child with cerebral palsy has invented a walking harness that gave her wheelchair-bound son a chance to walk like other children.
Debby Elnatan, a music therapist whose son Rotem has cerebral palsy, said the idea for a for the Firefly Upsee Harness came from her own ‘pain and desperation.’
“When my son was 2 years old, I was told by medical professionals that he didn’t know what his legs are and has no consciousness of them,” Elnatan recently told Daily Mail.
The harness was designed to enable Rotem to stand upright and, by attaching it to herself, Ms. Elnatan and her son could take steps together.
The mother opted for an Irish company Leckey to mass produce the Upsee and make it available to other parents of physically disabled children. The families from all over the world have been trying out the device.
“It is wonderful to see this product available to families across the world,” said Ms. Elnatan.
“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’.
The Upsee allows infants and small children to walk with the support of an adult. The harness attached with a belt worn by an adult.
Since 2012, designers, engineers, textile experts and therapists from Leckey’s Firefly team have been working on this project.
Maura McCrystal, mother of five-year-old Jack from Draperstown in Northern Ireland, has used the product.
“Last Sunday was a significant one for us as a family as it was the first time our son Jack was able to play football in the back garden with his dad, his brothers and our little dog Milly,” she said.
“To see Jack playing like any other five-year-old boy made me very emotional. Jack and his brothers so enjoyed it.”
Firefly’s clinical research manager and occupational therapist, Clare Canale, said: “Short-term, the Upsee improves special needs family participation and quality of life, while research suggests it has the potential to help with physical and emotional development in the longer term,” she said.
“It has been humbling to see the progress and happiness the Upsee is creating; watching children to do simple things for the first time such as kicking a ball or playing with a sibling is wonderful for everyone involved, but especially the families.”
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