For the first time, three-year-old Aiden can now safely climb out of his high chair all on his own thanks to a group of UTC students built the boy the custom chair as part of a final project in an engineering class.
For their project, the students had to construct a safe, adjustable high chair for Aiden, who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and is in the management phase of leukemia.
“We bought a chair at a local store and modified it to fit Aiden’s needs,” UTC student Bradley Sheppard said.
Two stainless steel handrails and an extra bottom step were added so Aiden can get in and out of the chair safely.
“We went through different designs, but decided the simpler we could make it, the better. We knew simplicity would make it safer,” Sheppard continued.
The high chair is also adjustable for Aiden’s growth and includes a harness and straps to secure the feeding tray.
For UTC student Chancz McGee, communication became an important part of the project.
“I thought the hardest part would be building the actual chair, but communicating with the customer and making sure you’re fulfilling all their requests before you start designing was a difficult process. You have to make sure you get it right before you even start building,” he said.
Students Tyler Adcock and Caleb Wooten also assisted on this project.
