Dylan, who likes to be called ‘D-Money’, is growing up quick as a bean sprout in the spring. He loves to lay on the floor and play with his favorite toys, especially his squishy octopus. At eighteen months, D-Money is learning to navigate his ever expanding world with the help of ADA. “D-Money was supporting himself with one arm so that he could play,” said Tamara, D-Money’s physical therapist. “Sitting up and developing torso strength is a big focus for D-Money. There wasn’t any equipment available that could help him to become stronger so I contacted ADA” said Tamara.
“D-Money is just about the jolliest and cutest little guy I have ever had the pleasure of meeting” said Eric Gottshall, Adaptive Designer and Fabricator for ADA. “Tamara shared with me that D-Money is at a sweet spot in his development for strengthening his core, so I created a floor sitter that is easily adjustable. The goal is for D-Money to get stronger and less reliant on the floor sitter over time,” said Eric. “For now, the floor sitter can provide support for D-Money’s torso as well as his head and neck.”
A tray was designed so that D-Money can join the family at mealtimes, play with his toys, and engage with his older sister. “I designed a platform that easily raises the floor sitter up to table height so that D-Money can always be part of family conversations,” said Eric.
Delivery day was momentous for D-Money. As soon as he was seated in the floor sitter, he instantly reached for toys that were on his tray. This was the first time that D-Money was able to play with both hands; he no longer had to prop himself up with one hand to play. D-Money’s mother, Kara, beamed with joy as she watched her much-loved son play with his favorite toys and start to discover his expanding world in a whole new way.
D-Money will outgrow his floor sitter fairly quickly, but ADA will be with him and his family every step of the way as he matures and needs different kinds of adaptive devices to help him develop and grow. We are able to provide adaptive devices like the floor sitter free of charge due to the generosity of our family of donors. We invite you to join us and help change a child’s world.
Photo 1: Dylan and Tamara testing the fit of the floor sitter made of plywood and cardboard.
Photo 2: Dylan and Mom on the day of delivery testing out access to different toys.
Photo 3: Dylan gleefully plays with his favorite toy while supported by his floor sitter and platform base.