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👨‍👧‍👦 Engineering Empathy: How High School Students Helped a New Dad Take His Baby for a Walk

When Jeremy King found out he was going to be a father, he was overwhelmed with joy—and a quiet, lingering fear.

Back in 2017, Jeremy, then 37 and living in Maryland, underwent life-saving brain surgery to remove a cancerous tumor “about the size of a baseball.” The procedure saved his life, but it came with lasting consequences. His mobility was limited. Speech slowed. And he now relied on a wheelchair to navigate the world.

So when he and his wife, Chelsie King, learned in June 2020 that they were expecting their first child, their excitement was quickly followed by a sobering question:

“How are we going to do this?”
“How can Jeremy ever take the baby out for a walk?”

🚼 For many parents, strolling through the park with your child is a simple joy. For Jeremy, it felt like an unreachable dream.

Chelsie, a high school teacher, shared Jeremy’s story with her students in an engineering class—not to ask for help, but to illustrate how design can solve real-world problems. But her students didn’t just listen. They took action.

Ten students spent months researching, prototyping, and building a custom stroller attachment—something that could safely connect a baby stroller to a wheelchair. It had to be:

• ✅ Stable and secure
• ✅ Easy to attach and detach
• ✅ Comfortable for both parent and child
• ✅ Safe enough to trust with a newborn

And they nailed it.

🛠️ The final design was simple, elegant, and life-changing. It allowed Jeremy to push a stroller using his wheelchair—independently, confidently, and safely.

The first time Jeremy took his baby out for a walk, it was a moment of quiet triumph. No assistance. No workaround. Just a father, his child, and the freedom to share a simple joy that once felt impossible.

For the students, it wasn’t just an engineering challenge—it was a lesson in empathy, creativity, and the power of human-centered design. They didn’t just build a device. They built a bridge between limitation and possibility.

💡 Sometimes, the most powerful innovations aren’t found in labs or boardrooms. They’re born in classrooms, fueled by compassion, and driven by the belief that everyone deserves access to life’s everyday joys.

Jeremy’s story is a reminder:
A small act of kindness, powered by ingenuity, can change someone’s world.

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