Dad creates device to help 2-year-old son with spina bifida

Brody Moreland was born with spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when a baby’s spine doesn't form normally in the womb. After doctors discovered the condition 20 weeks into Ally Moreland’s pregnancy, they gave the couple a 50/50 chance that their firstborn would be able to walk. Right after birth, Brody underwent back closure surgery and skull surgery to drain extra fluid from his brain. Four more surgeries followed in the next six months. "But his mobility didn’t improve: He’s basically paralyzed from the chest down", Taylor said. He has arm control, but no trunk control.

“At first, I thought so negatively about all the things that he wouldn’t be able to do. That’s kind of where your mind goes,” Taylor recalled.

As Brody grew, playtime meant spending time on his belly on the floor. He pushed up with his arms, but couldn’t crawl, so he’d stay in exactly the same place where his parents placed him. When Brody turned 1, the family tried a ZipZac baby wheelchair, which he took well, but it still wasn’t a solution since he couldn’t easily reach the ground where his toys were. It was important that Brody be able to crawl and play on the floor, just like other toddlers. It was just a matter of finding a way.

That is when Taylor created “The Frog,” a homemade device that helped Brody get around on his own. It supports his body with the help of large wheels placed near his hips. It tilts up and down so he has to carry some weight in his arms just like any other baby would when crawling. When he’s tired, he can comfortably rest his head on the floor. The large wheels mean he can easily roll through carpet or over a transition in a doorway. It promotes increased shoulder strength and stability, plus increased head and trunk control, she noted. It also boosts visual perceptual skills and cognitive skills.

The device has been “life-changing” for Brody, his parents said. He can chase the cat, open drawers, play with his cousins, explore on his own and “be crazy like any toddler should be,” his mom noted.

The device is an excellent idea, said Elizabeth A. Fain, director of occupational therapy at Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer, North Carolina, who was not involved in its design and offered an independent opinion.

The family now wants to share it with the world. The inventor has now produced Frog devices for 20 kids and there’s a growing waiting list of orders.

Adapted from: https://on.today.com/2GfykTH