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Debby’s son Rotem was diagnosed with the condition, she defied medical advice to give him a chance to walk- now 16 years later her invention will help dozens of children to become mobile.
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When Debby Elnatan’s son Rotem was diagnosed as suffering from cerebral palsy a non-progressive movement disorders that causes physical disability, particularly in the areas of body movement., she was determined to give her child every chance to be mobile.
Despite the fact that there is no known cure for the condition, with the best conventional medicine can do is to minimize any possible complications. Physical therapists treating Rotem, as is normal practice throughout the world, strongly advised Ms. Elnatan, a music therapist from Israel, not to allow Rotem to walk or even crawl , as the muscle spasms which any form of movement generates in a cerebral palsy sufferer would be considerably worsened.
Initially Debby accepted the advice of her doctors in coping with Rotem’s condition, but as time went by she became determined to find a way for her son to burn up some of the energy that he was generating, and not sentenced to a life totally confined to a wheelchair.
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Eventually, after considerable trial and error, Debby Elnatan developed a design that allowed Rotem to walk, when wearing sandals, which she specially engineered, which would allow him to stand totally upright, with support coming from a harness that is attached to the parent’s waist.
Satisfied with the dramatic improvement in the quality of life she had provided for Rotem, Debby Elnatan was determined to pass on the benefits of her invention to parents of other children suffering from cerebral palsy.
After a long and arduous search to find someone who could manufacture such a project, Debby eventually discovered Leckey, a company based in Lisburn, in Northern Ireland who specialize in the manufacture of medical equipment, designed to help children with special needs to improve their posture.
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Leckey’s extensive design and development team saw the tremendous potential in Debby’s design, and after two years, and extensive professional trials, the Firefly Upsee harness, as it has been named, is due to be launched worldwide, and a cost of just $540 plus shipping and designed to fit children aged between 3 to 8.
After her long journey to see her vision become a commercial reality Debby Elnatan expressed her hope that it will be used all over the world to give our children a better childhood., as well as to allow families to come together so that all the family members can participate in social activities like playing with other children, by having their hands free to reach out and touch.
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