A mom has invented a unique device called the Firefly Upsee Harness, which makes it possible for parents of disabled children to aid them in standing up straight and walking.
Debby Elnatan, a music therapist and the creator of Firefly Upsee, came up with the idea to help her son Roten, who was born with cerebral palsy and is bound to a wheelchair.
Her device works by attaching the top part of the harness to the parent's waist and slipping on the specially designed sandals. Doing this makes it possible for the parent and child to walk together.
"When my son was 2 years old, I was told by medical professionals that he didn't know what his legs are and has no consciousness of them," Elnatan told the Daily Mail. Upon hearing this, and out of both "pain and desperation," she came up with the idea of the Firefly Upsee Harness.
She then went out in search for the right company to help make her harness and eventually chose Leckey, a company based in Northern Ireland that manufactures a range of equipment specifically designed to help children with special needs improve their posture.
Leckey's team of experts has been working on Elnatan's concept since 2012 and after more than a year, the product has finally been launched in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
In a video that explained how the product came about, Elnatan shared how challenging it was at first to help her son walk. She saved up wood and created shoes to help him along.
Other than helping children walk and stand upright, the Firefly Upsee Harness may also aid in creating bonds between a parent and child given the close physical connection it creates.
