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QUEENS WEEKLY, MAY 19, 2019
Bayside hospital takes kids for a ride
Physical therapists at St. Mary’s Hospital for Children modify ride-on cars for patients with limited mobility
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
With tools and a power
drill in hand, physical
therapists at Bayside’s
St. Mary’s Hospital for
Children participated in
a workshop altering toy
ride-on cars for patients
and community kids
with limited mobility.
St. Mary’s pediatric
and occupational therapists
received hands
on training modifying
six red toy ride-on cars
over the course of two
days at the first-ever
Go Baby Go workshop
held at the hospital on
May 10.
Go Baby Go is a 150
chapter international
organization that is dedicated
to getting adults
and kids with significant
disabilities moving in
their real world, according
to Cole Galloway,
a professor at the University
of Delaware and
founder of Go Baby Go.
“They’re learning
how to strip wires,
change electronics, and
use everyday materials
like kickboards and pool
noodles — things you
can get at a local hardware
store for low-cost
modification,s so that
kids with any types of
abilities will be able to
drive these cars,” said
Galloway. “We’ve done
probably about 8,000 cars
worldwide with trainings
like this.”
It takes about 38
minutes to an hour to
modify the level one toy
cars that are equipped
with a big red switch
to help kids maneuver
the vehicle exploring
their surroundings.
The workshop is part
of a bigger initiative of
a cist of technology in
finding ways to have
St. Mary’s patients who
have restricted mobility
to partake in something
that is different and fun,
said Elizabeth Alfonso,
physical therapy supervisor
of Rehabilitation
Services.
Four-year-old Lucas Spina goes for a ride in his toy ride-on car in the hallway of St. Mary’s Hospital for Children. Photo by Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
“We found that once
we put a child in the car
it was completely amazing,”
said Alfonso. “He
had such a good time
– his eyes were bright
and lit up just exploring.
We’re all very excited
so far. Everyone loves it
and once we get good at
modifying and our principles
and basics down,
we can continue to grow
and make more cars for
all of our kids.”
With a push of a button,
4-year-old Lucas
Spina rolled out into the
hallway with a smile on
his face.
“We struggled with
trying to find toys given
restrictions on his abilities,”
said Greg Spina.
“It’s been hard to find
things that he can use as
a kid without us being involved.
This is awesome.
I feel like it gives him a
chance to do something
on his own and be mobile
on his own. He really
hasn’t had that before, so
I think it’s a wonderful
thing and I’m grateful
that they’re doing this
for him.”
According to Jillian
Cohen, a physical
therapist at St. Marys,
the modified cars gives
children — who are
mostly in wheelchairs or
seating systems requiring
assistance — an opportunity
to be a little
bit more independent,
she said.
“With Lucas, we
adapted the car because
he’s better at using his
left hand for steering.
We just changed out the
steering wheel so that
he can use his left hand
to try to steer and giving
him use of his right
arm which he tends to
neglect,” said Cohen.
“We put the switch in a
place that encourages
him to use that right
arm and still be able to
steer with the left working
on two tasks at the
same time.”
For Cohen, working on
the cars was an overall
fun experience.
“Trying to figure out all
of the wiring, it’s a tricky
thing but it’s so cool to
see how we can take such
a simple toy and change it
to something that is better
for other kids to be able to
use,” said Cohen. “I don’t
even know if there are
words to describe how awesome
it is to see these kids
be able to move when we’re
working so much with
them in our sessions with
learning how to stand,
walk and crawl. But to see
them get into the car and
figure out that they can actually
find a way to move
themselves without working
as hard while they’re
developing skills gives
them a great opportunity to
self-explore.”
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by email at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.com
or by phone at (718) 260–
4526.
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