Debby Elnatan has created a harness that allows children with disabilities the ability to walk with their parents.
Image source
Her son Rotem was born with cerebal palsy and was only diagnosed with the condition when he was 2 years old. For the first year of his life, he cried and it wasn’t until a physical therapist told Debby that her son was crying because he wasn’t aware of his legs that Debby realized her son needed her help. She tried to help her son to walk, but it was hard because she was always on her knees. And children with cerebal palsy didn’t have the motor skills, muscle tone or posture to learn to walk.
Determined to make a difference, Debby experimented making different shoes to help her son walk until she finally created the Upsee. The Upsee is a mobility device – worn on the waist of the guiding adult and used to harness the child upright. The adult and child share sandals which allows the adult to guide the feet of the child in front of them.
Image source
It is Debby’s dream to see the Upsee used worldwide by children with neuromuscular disorders. The Upsee not only allows the child to do normal things like walk upright, but it also allows them to receive affection like hugs from their siblings which are often given standing up.
image source
The Upsee website states “They are just little steps, but they mean the world to someone.”
Upsee can be purchased online from the Firefly shop.
Debby shares about the Upsee in this touching video.
