Two Bean Elementary School students received assistive tools today made by Texas Tech engineering students. Aidan Galvan got a prosthetic hand and Isaac Montoya got a motorized wheelchair with a vertical lift. Aidan said he’s excited to use his new hand for many different things.
“Programming, writing, picking up stuff, and catching stuff,” said Aiden.
Isaac said he’s going to use his new wheelchair to be able to go higher.
“Well with this chair I can now go up to higher places. I’d be able to reach books,” Isaac Montoya.
These new tools allow them to do everyday things people take advantage of such as walking, writing your name, or even catching a ball.
After getting input from Isaac and Aiden, the Texas Tech students made these assistive tools for a final project, which ended up meaning so much more.
“The fact that we were able to provide him with something that he can use in his everyday life and something that makes him feel a little more normal. That’s definitely something I’m going to take with me after this. I’ll keep that in mind forever,” said Andre Martinez, a senior mechanical engineering student who helped create Isaac’s tool.
“Honestly, I started this project thinking ‘Hey, that’s really cool. It’s a great challenge.’ Of course we want to help a kid, but the first time we went with him to actually try it on and to test it, I didn’t expect to feel so emotional about it. To actually see him pick up a water bottle and unscrew the cap for the first time in his life with that hand,” said Alyssa Gaertner, a senior mechanical engineering student who helped create Aiden’s tool.
They said it was a process of trial and error, but it was worth the wait.
“They’ve asked me a bunch of times. Are they really going to do this? Are they really going to get it? Well, I was beginning to wonder, too, but we finally got it pulled off today. I’m very proud to see it for them and you never know what a little thing is going to do,” said Dalinda Rogers, Technology Facilitator for Lubbock ISD.
Aiden even said he wants to be an engineer when he grows up.
“You know how ice cream’s really cold? I’m going to invent something that you can hold with it so it won’t be cold,” says Galvan.
The Tech students mentioned that this was a team effort and they want to thank everyone involved. Some of those involved were Texa-Craft, the mechanical engineering shop, and other manufacturing businesses.
