Bothwell girl's invention to help baby sister walk to be brought to life

A schoolgirl from Bothwell has designed an award-winning device to help her sister walk – and it could be brought to life thanks to some budding engineers.

11-year-old Olivia Thompson and her St Bride’s Primary classmates Evie Anderson, Nuala Maria McKnight, and Ellie Lappin are behind The Cloud Walker – their entry for the first Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre Challenge.

Described as an ‘upgraded walker for children with cerebral palsy’, the device – still at the design stage – includes an iPad with apps to help youngsters learn, walk, and exercise all at once.

Olivia was inspired by her sister Gabriella who has cerebral palsy.

Inspired by sister

The group of incurable, lifelong conditions, caused by brain development issues, affect mobility and coordination.

3-year-old Gabriella was diagnosed with the condition after she was born prematurely at 31 weeks, and now has difficulty moving her legs and receives physiotherapy.

“Gabriella loves to dance but she struggles to walk, she sort of bunny hops to move about,” Olivia said.

“If nobody tries to help children with cerebral palsy they won’t be able to get around places in life.

"I feel proud that we had the chance to create something that could help make walking and physio sessions more fun and interactive.”

'Amazed'

Judges crowned The Cloud Walker the 2023 winner and City of Glasgow College engineering students may now make it into a working prototype.

“I am amazed that we won,” Olivia added.

“When our headteacher announced it, I’d never seen my friends so happy. We worked on it for weeks, I can’t believe we were chosen.”

The pupils have also appealed for a ‘designer and marketing company’ to get plans for The Cloud Walker off the ground – and Olivia is determined to take matters into her own hands.

“If it doesn’t get invented I will try to make it happen when I’m older, it’s important to help children with cerebral palsy, like my sister.”

Proud parents

Nobody is more delighted than Olivia’s parents, Aileen and Steven.

“I am extremely proud of Olivia and her friends,” Aileen said.

“It’s probably the achievement of hers that I am most proud of. Both Olivia and my son, Philip are so good at taking care of their sister.”

The Thompsons watched on as the girls picked up their prizes at a special awards ceremony at City of Glasgow College on April 18.

George Crooks OBE, Chief Executive at Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre, said: “The DigiInventors challenge has proven a real catalyst to unlock the potential of our younger pupils to create digitally supported solutions to real-life problems and hopefully create a long-lasting interest in digital health and care as a possible future career.

"We were presented with many good examples of real digital innovation. Congratulations to all participants this year and in particular to our worthy winners.”

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