Latest news with #GoBabyGo
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Quinnipiac students create customized cars for children with disabilities
HAMDEN, Conn. (WTNH) — Students from Quinnipiac University's physical and occupational therapy programs helped kids with disabilities on Saturday at the Go Baby Go car pickup event. Students helped families from Danbury, Watertown, Prospect and Woodbridge by creating custom-made battery-powered ride on cars to improve mobility for children with physical disabilities. Quinnipiac cuts ribbons on two new academic buildings After finalizing the cars, they were test driven and decorated with custom license plates. The modified cars featured rewired controls for children unable to use foot pedals, improved safety harnesses and seating and personalized decorations. Go Baby Go, a national program started from the University of Delaware, has been providing custom-made cars for kids year after year. Quinnipiac graduate students began their involvement in the program in 2012. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
GoBabyGo gifts custom motorized cars to children with mobility issues
WHEATON, Ill. — Six-year-old Glenn Simmons usually rides shotgun in his sister's motorized Jeep but now he's got his own ride equipped just for him. 'For him to get here and get his own Jeep and see the expression on his face, it just really brought us to tears,' Ebonie Simmons, Glenn's mom, said. Glenn was diagnosed with cerebral palsy preventing him from moving without support. He is also non-verbal, but these obstacles don't stop him from wanting to keep up with other kids. 'He is such a hardworking kid. He loves to try, he loves other children and he loves to play,' Ebonie Simmons said. On Saturday morning, Glenn was one of eighteen children with mobility challenges gifted a motorized child-sized car. 'We are absolutely overjoyed and grateful that we're receiving this type of support for him,' Ebonie Simmons said. 'We thought he'd never be able to drive his own Jeep because he doesn't have the head support.' The cars were customized by volunteers to help the children have fun and live more independently. 'We decide what is going to work for the child, and the therapists and volunteers come in and adapt it… move lights around, make the seating right and give them additional kinds of support,' Dr. Anton Dietzen said. The program, GoBabyGo, donated the vehicles to children who receive care at the Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton. 'Teaching a child that they can get around on their own, that they can explore their environment, is just huge,' Dr. Dietzen said. The hospital hosts the event once a year. There's also talk about having the children return with their cars just to hang out and socialize. 'This is going to open up a lot,' Ebonie Simmons said. 'This is going to open up his childhood. This is going to make him be able to be a kid.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Local children with disabilities gifted toy Jeeps in annual Go Baby Go event
CANFIELD, Ohio (WKBN) — Children in the Valley aren't old enough to drive, but some have a brand new set of wheels. Saturday was the 10th annual Go Baby Go event, giving children with disabilities and their families a new gift. 23 new inclusive and customized toy Jeeps made their way to children and families. The remote-controlled toys will help children like Lyla Dennison. Lyla's mother is Shyann Dennison, who says it'll help her daughter be more mobile outside with the family. 'Lyla has hypotonia, so she can't really be mobile herself. So, being able to get a car to make her feel like she's mobile makes us feel like we can be more involved with all the other children as well,' Shyann said. The event is coordinated by Beverly Kanitus, who said they have the same volunteers every year, creating inclusion in the way kids play. 'They can ride right along the neighborhood kids just like everyone else, and we know that's so important for them to be able to socialize and communicate and play — just play like normal kids. It's a lot of fun for the parents, and it's a lot of fun for the kids,' Lankitus said. This year also marks 180 children receiving the toy Jeeps. Throughout the years, Denise and John Hirschbeck have made Go Baby Go possible for kids in Northeast Ohio. 'It's so rewarding just to see when the kids get in their cars and the families, and they bring grandparents and siblings and everything — just to see them drive through the finish line here,' John said. 'I think the parents are just as excited to get the remove and drive them around.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
