St. Patrick’s High School engineering students hosted their third “Go Baby Go” event Saturday morning as part of a national program to modify battery-powered ride-on cars for children with limited mobility.
Five families attended the event and were able to bring a car home for their child at no cost. Ride-on cars are small toy vehicles designed for toddlers or young children.
“This is often the first time these kids can move independently,” said Rachel Galant, clinical program designer for the Illinois Spina Bifida Association. “It helps them engage with their peers, build social skills and communicate in ways they couldn’t before.”
Throughout the morning, students adjusted seating, added supports and made design changes to ensure each car met the individual needs of the children. Occupational therapists worked alongside students to supervise proper positioning and safety before the children tested the vehicles.
Sixteen-month-old Kalani Hernández was one of the toddlers fitted for a car. Kalani has hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, a form of brain injury that affects muscle tone and mobility. She also has cerebral palsy-related motor impairments.
“She’s a fighter. She came into this world fighting, and she’s still fighting,” said her mother, Christina Acosta.
Kalani’s vehicle included added back support, pool noodles along each side of her body for stability and a 3D-printed steering bar to make the wheel easier to control. The exterior of her car was decorated with pink flowers and stickers seen on the YouTube site of “Ms. Rachel,” a popular preschool educator.
Kalani’s father, Vincent Hernández, said the car allows his daughter to participate in activities alongside other children.
“She won’t just be sitting next to them anymore,” he said. “She’ll be with them.”
Go Baby Go began in 2012 at the University of Delaware and has since expanded to schools, hospitals and universities nationwide. The program is open-source, allowing schools and organizations to adapt the model to their communities.
Magdalena Piper, St. Patrick’s career and technical education department chair, said the program aligns with the Portage Park school’s focus on hands-on learning and community service. She said the students were the driving force behind the event.
“They saw the program and wanted to bring it here. They lead the work and learn by doing,” she said.
Jackson McGarvey, 17, who participated in the past two Go Baby Go events and is one of the student leaders for the program, said it takes around three months of preparation before the event to ensure the cars are ready for the children.
“After all that work, seeing a kid sitting in the car and enjoying it is amazing,” he said. “That moment makes everything worth it.
