<a href="https://pixabay.com/users/AbsolutVision/">AbsolutVision</a> / Pixabay
6th-grade students at McClintock Middle School in east Charlotte, North Carolina have been making use of 3D printing to solve real-world problems in order to make the world a happier place. Working on their project titled ‘Lead the Way’, the students accepted the task of helping a 2-year-old girl born with Kubaki syndrome. Ben Davis, a 6th-grade modeling and design teacher gave the idea for the project to 6th-grade students.
When Ben Davis noticed a 2-year-old Emmett Hightshoe along with her family at Greg Olsen’s The Heartest Yard 5K, the teacher decided to help the little girl to allow her to live a better life. She saw the little girl’s parents chasing her with a backpack holding the tank and decided to help her with the help of 3D printing technology to avoid her parents from following her around the house all the time. It comes as a shock sometimes on knowing what all things 3D Printing can do.
According to Emmett’s mother, Maleigh Hightshow, the little girl is not just suffering from a genetic diagnosis but also has only a half heart. Known as Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) in medical terms, for which she needs 24/7 oxygen with the use of a little extra equipment. Her mother admitted that she and her husband have to carry the oxygen tank by putting it in a backpack but it puts a limit on the free movement of Emmett in the home space.
Davis said that the students have worked really hard in designing, printing, and testing different models to provide more freedom to the little girl in moving around her house freely. They designed oxygen tank holders to attach to Emmett’s walker.
