Upper School Club Gets Involved With Local Community

I joined Crossroads halfway through sophomore year following the fires in the Pacific Palisades. I knew my new high school would be the perfect place to start the GoBabyGo club. As I’m planning to study engineering in college, I was interested in the mission of GoBabyGo, an initiative that began at the University of Delaware to “increas[e] mobility and quality of life solutions for children whose access to such may be limited during their early developmental years.” Our GoBabyGo club aims to use STEM to modify ride-on cars for toddlers with mobility challenges and to provide them to families completely free of charge. 

After finding a faculty advisor, physics teacher Maya Rao, I started meeting during lunchtime with co-founder Cary Grant-Page (11th grade), secretary Aiden Pierce (12th grade) and other club members. We set club goals and discussed fundraising ideas. We eventually were able to raise over $2,000 through a fundraising page that we shared with friends and family interested in our club’s mission. These funds were used to purchase tools and materials to build and modify cars for four toddlers who were referred by their physical or occupational therapists.

March 15 was Build Day! After assembling the cars, we stripped, spliced and rewired the pedals to be activated via a big red button attached to the steering wheel. This way, the toddlers could learn to operate them independently using their hands, since they did not have full leg control. We then individually adapted cars to the needs of each toddler using power drills to fit them with PVC pipes, pool noodles and kickboards for extra upper body support. Robotics coach Ronit Kumar provided assistance as needed.

After the therapy cars were built, the children and families started to arrive. Recipients were a 22-month-old boy with chronic lung disease, a 21-month-old boy with cerebral palsy, a 20-month-old girl with spinal muscular atrophy and a 15-month-old girl with Cri du Chat syndrome. Club members introduced themselves and explained how to operate the cars.

When the toddlers were first placed in the cars, they didn’t understand how to control them. We gave them time to adjust, and were able to watch as they figured out how to use them in real time. It was incredible to see the joy on the toddlers’ faces as they began to drive independently, smiling as they learned to push the control button while their families cheered them on. 

One grateful mom, Ana Soto, wrote to say:

"This is what it is all about. Feeling included and seeing the impossible. We never thought we would see our son ride in an electric car, and here we are. Feeling included with his brother is something that has made our hearts full. I can’t express the joy this has brought to us as a family, as his parents and we’re truly thankful we were given this beautiful gift. Thank you, again."

Next year, Cary and I will be seniors, so our club has one more year together. After that, I hope that the foundation we have built will keep the club going at Crossroads for years to come, and I plan to continue my involvement in college and as a future engineer.