A toddler with a genetic condition making him unable to walk is getting around with a little help from a local high school's robotics team.
Tyson and Krissy Jackson from Minnesota usually resort to putting their two-year-old son Cillian in a stroller or carry him everywhere they go.
According to CNN, Cillian's therapist suggested his parents seek help from a program called Go Baby Go, which provides children with disabilities a chance to be a kid in modified toy cars at a relatively affordable cost around $100 to $200.
Unfortunately, the Jackson's could not find a Go Baby Go location within close proximity, so they contacted the Rogue Robotics team at Farmington High School to see if they would be willing to provide him with a modified car.
The students were more than willing to help Cillian, and built him a custom-made Power Wheels car.
Robotics coach Spencer Elvebak is proud of his students' work and credited them on their outstanding efforts.
"Everything that we've been doing for robotics competitions ... was directly relatable to this challenge. The students did the programming, they did all the wiring, they did all the work."
The students used the plans and models from Go Baby Go to engineer Cillian's own Power Wheel to much success by adding a seat from a bicycle carrier and a joystick rendered from a 3D printer.
Four weeks after receiving his new wheels, Cillian and his family met with the students and displayed his navigational skills to everyone's delight.
You can see the joy on the happy driver's face.
"These kids took time out of their busy schedules to do this for our son," Cillina's mom, Krissy, told KARE11.
"We're so grateful."
"This really helps him explore like he's never been able to do before."
Krissy extended her gratitude on Facebook by commenting on the Rogue Robotics' page that posted the video of Cillian on the zoom.
Rogue Robotics - Farmington/Facebook
The modified car will act as a training vehicle of sorts until he can start training to navigate around in a motorized wheelchair, which can cost upwards of $20,000.
Tyler described his son's condition in detail.
"He has an especially hard time controlling his body. He has a lot of symptoms you'd see in someone who has cerebral palsy."
But Cillian will still have to wait for the motorized wheelchair until he is of a qualifying age.
"Cillian still lacks some of the maturity and focus to drive an electric wheelchair in a public setting, which is the primary reason why he hasn't been approved for one. Frankly, we haven't even tried yet because we know he would be denied based on the proficiency requirement."
Despite the uplifting news of his Power Wheels car, people were more concerned about a flawed healthcare system.
Fortunately for the Jackson family, a group of dedicated teenagers made huge strides to improve Cillian's life until he makes it to the next transition.
The Rogue Robotics team declared "our team is MORE than just building a robot!"
The accolades are pouring in.
Rogue Robotics - Farmington/Facebook
Rogue Robotics - Farmington/Facebook
Team member Drew Eisenzimmer confirmed:
"Instead of completing a task, we're helping change someone's life."
Fellow team member Nicole Stash echoed the sentiment.
"I think we won here more than we do in our competitions."
Congratulations to the remarkable students for their dedication and ingenuity. Like Cillian, they are sure to be going places.
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