5 for Good: Robotics team gifts customized car to local girl with disabilities

A LITTLE GIRL WITH HER VERY OWN CAR. HIGH PERFORMANCE CREATIONS LIKE THIS ARE TYPICALLY THE FOCUS OF THE ROBOTICS CLUB AT WESTFORD ACADEMY. THEIR COMPETITION TEAM IS A STATE STANDOUT, BUT TURNS OUT THEIR HEARTS RIVAL THEIR SMARTS. INITIALLY, IT WAS PEDAL DRIVEN AND SO WE HAD TO GO IN AND REWIRE EVERYTHING, STEPHEN WOJCIK, A TEAM ADVISOR, DETAILS HOW THEY MODIFIED A BATTERY POWERED CAR TO GIVE IT TO A LOCAL CHILD WITH MOBILITY CHALLENGES. WE ADDED LIKE A LITTLE TOP PART HERE TO THE SEAT TO PROTECT THE BACK OF HER HEAD AND THEN WE ALSO ADDED SOME PADDING AROUND THE SIDES, ALL TO FIT FIVE YEAR OLD AVA, WHOSE FAMILY PAID A VISIT TO WESTFORD ACADEMY FOR A TEST DRIVE. WE GOT ANOTHER TOY FOR YOU. THE TEAM, USING MEASUREMENTS PROVIDED BY AVA’S PHYSICAL THERAPIST, HANNAH MCQUILLEN. WHAT A GOOD FIT GUYS, YOU DID A GREAT JOB. JUST SOMETHING SMALL THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE SUCH A BIG IMPACT. MAKE ANYBODY SMILE. SO EXCITING WITH DAD ON THE SPECIAL STEERING STRINGS. AVA WAS SMILING FOR SURE. BIG SISTER ANNA, TWO, WHO DID THE HONORS OF DECORATING. IT WAS BETTER THAN I REALLY COULD EVER HAVE EXPECTED IT TO BE. WOW. WHEN SHE SQUEALS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT’S LIKE THAT’S HER HAPPY SQUEAL. AND THAT MEANT SHE’S JUST ABSOLUTELY IN HEAVEN. SHE DEFINITELY HAS THE NEED FOR SPEED. SHE ABSOLUTELY LOVES BEING MOBILE. AND YOU KNOW, HER CONDITION PREVENTS HER FROM BEING AS MOBILE AS SHE’D LIKE TO BE. AND ESPECIALLY AS INDEPENDENT AS SHE’D LIKE TO BE BORN WITH A GENETIC NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER CALLED CTNNB1, WHICH IMPACTS THINGS LIKE SPEECH AND MOTOR SKILLS, MCQUILLEN SAID. A CAR LIKE THIS CAN BE A BENEFIT IN MANY WAYS. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND IT CAN ALSO RESULT IN IMPROVEMENTS IN COORDINATION, BALANCE, STRENGTH. AVA AND ANNA’S MOM, DESCRIBING THE GIFT AS A HUGE WIN FOR THEIR FAMILY AND THE ROBOTICS TEAM. I FEEL LIKE IT’S A TWO WAY STREET. IT’S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO LEARN ABOUT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND IT’S ALSO A GREAT WAY FOR THEM TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCE AND FOR AVA TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING IN RETURN OF, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO MEET SOMEBODY WHO HAS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENCES. AND I THINK AS THE WORLD HOPEFULLY KEEPS EVOLVING, BEING ABLE TO BE MORE ACCEPTING OF THAT AND YOU CAN JUST PUSH AVA JUST LOVED IT. SHE WASN’T HAVING THE ORIGINAL TOY CAR AND INSTRUCTIONS TO CUSTOMIZE IT. THEY WERE PROVIDED BY A PROGRAM CALLED GO BABY GO! THE ROBOTICS TEAM, WHICH DOES OTHER COMMUNITY OUTREACH AS WELL, INCLUDING RUNNING A ROBOTICS CAMP FOR YOUNGER KIDS, WOULD LOVE TO CUSTOMIZE MORE CARS, BUT THEY’D HAVE T