On Thursday, November 1st, the Marymount Physical Therapy Department hosted a Go Baby Go! event to adapt battery powered cars, making them accessible to children with special needs.
“Go Baby Go! transforms the lives of children with mobility challenges,” said Brittany Simmons, a Marymount nursing student and the Go Baby Go! project coordinator. “These ‘Build and Grow’ events are life changing for the families involved as you see children who have not had the opportunity to explore independently gain the ability to see the world without having someone assist them.”
During the event at 4040 Fairfax Drive, students built six cars. The Physical Therapy department hosts two major build events each academic year, one in the fall and one in the spring. These events are funded through donations and sponsors, and Physical Therapy Department Chair Dr. Skye Donovan has also been awarded grants to fund Go Baby Go! initiatives.
“All students involved have the opportunity to visualize clients who struggle with mobility challenges but with the use of these modifiable designs, they help the clients move and can also be used to help them in their therapy,” Simmons said. “These events require students to problem solve and be innovative especially when it comes to children who require multiple modifications to their car.”
Dr. Cole Galloway, a professor in the department of physical therapy at the University of Delaware, started Go Baby Go! several years ago. Professor Donovan met Galloway at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) NEXT meeting in 2014, and since then Marymount has built over 100 cars and is considered a “super center” responsible for training other Go Baby Go! startups.
