There are times when a child’s goodwill meets the power of technology at just the right intersection. This was the case for a 13-year-old boy named Zac Waters, who discovered that he could make a huge difference in the world, and so he did.
ABC4 News in Utah, along with other media outlets, reported that Waters was inspired after watching a YouTube video about 3D printing. He’s a fan of the technology, and after scrolling around, he came across MakeGood, a company that uses it to create blueprints to help people in need. And so Waters set aside about 300 hours of his summer and made it happen.
3D printing goes to next level
ABC4 News’ Alexa McFadden reported that Waters learned of a 21-month-old baby who needed a wheelchair. Still, her family couldn’t afford it: “Waters dedicated his summer to designing, 3D printing, testing, and assembling a custom wheelchair for a young girl. His favorite part of 3D printing is putting the pieces together, and this chair was no exception. The project took roughly 300 hours.”
MakeGood is a nonprofit based in New Orleans that aims to make technology available to anyone in need. Its website states that it is “on a mission to make life-changing assistive technology accessible to everyone.” MakeGood listens to the needs of individuals with disabilities to understand their daily challenges. It then uses 3D printing to “create custom assistive devices at a fraction of the commercial cost.”
Stormi’s mobility project
MakeGood’s work extends to countries and people all around the world. Upworthy got the chance to speak to Brittany (@stormismobilityproject) in North Canton, Ohio. She shared the story of Stormi, her adoptive/foster daughter, whose special needs inspired Brittany to get a 3D printer and design a wheelchair.
“Stormi has been in foster care since birth. She spent her first six months in the NICU before finally coming home to us. She has a rare genetic condition called ASXL3/Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome, which she shares with her biological mother,” Brittany said.
Nearly anyone can do it
Brittany, like Waters, was inspired by seeing a clip of a 3D printer online:
“I actually bought our Bambu Lab 3D printer after seeing MakeGood TMT (Toddler Mobility Trainer) on TikTok. I reached out to Noam (the founder of MakeGood) directly, and he was kind enough to message me back with a printer recommendation. From there, I started learning everything I could! We started printing in March, and Stormi’s first mobility trainer took about six weeks to complete. It was definitely a learning curve, but seeing what it could give Stormi made every failed print and long printing day worth it.”
This led to Brittany becoming a vetted chair maker through MakeGood, with Stormi “testing a lot of the designs before release.” Brittany shared, “We’re now working on our 8th and 9th mobility builds. We also print MakeGood accessories for schools, therapy, clinics, etc.”
Unlimited amount of design work
Upworthy also chatted with Noam Platt, the founder and executive director of MakeGood, who shared how it all began.
“The inspiration for MakeGood was a local family who needed help designing a supportive seat to help use the toilet,” Platt said. “Through this project, I saw that there was a huge need for design work in the field as disability technology. My background is in healthcare architecture, so I knew how to do iterative design and work with people. There is a huge opportunity for anyone to design assistive technology, and there is an almost unlimited amount of design work that needs to be done.”
He also expressed massive gratitude towards the makers.
“I want to especially thank all of our volunteer makers, just like Zac, who are spending time and resources to help others,” Platt said. “We at MakeGood are so thrilled to see the Toddler Mobility Trainer project grow and bring makers and families together. We encourage anyone who is interested to get involved, whether just sharing about MakeGood, or 3D printing the chairs as a maker. The TMT was intentionally designed to be easy to make by anyone, so we are seeing amazing stories like Zac’s.”
The team loves hearing about families learning to help their own children. “Some of my favorite stories are when a family buys a 3D printer to make the chair for their own child, and now they are equipped to help others!” Platt said.
Platt also noted everything the MakeGood team is working on, including varied kinds of assistive technology.
“We are working on a motorized version, a sports version, and an outdoor version,” Platt said. “I also want to share the TMT is just one part of MakeGood. We specialize in all sorts of different assistive technologies, and do a lot to teach other organizations how to do this critical work.”
‘Over 1,000 Zacs out there’
“We are supported by donations and we encourage people to sign up to be a monthly donor. Even $10 a month goes a long way to support the TMT project and continue to allow people like Zac to make a difference in their communities,” Platt said. “There are over 1,000 Zacs out there in the world becoming heroes in their own community. It’s just amazing to watch.”
