Engineers create custom-built walker for boy with cerebral palsy

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - A group of local engineers presented a specially built walker for a Michigan boy who has cerebral palsy.

Braden Gandee, 8, has teamed up with his brother to help raise awareness for cerebral palsy with a special project.

The Cerebral Palsy Swagger project began with Braden being carried on the back of his 14-year-old, Hunter Gandee, for 40 miles.

"They really didn't realize what Braden and others with CP have to go through every day of their life. We wanted to be able to show them all the struggles he has to go through," said Hunter.

The walk captured the attention of engineers and a volunteer group called 'May We Help."

One of Braden's struggles is being able to play on a regular playground, the group built a specially designed walker for Braden who was all smiles when the presented it to him.

"I think it's great. I mean, it tells me that people are thinking about kids like me," said Braden,

Ray Riley, a retired engineer, does a lot of thinking about people with physical challenges and tries to figure out ways to make their lives easier.

"Satisfaction of helping them. It's really not any more complicated than that. I enjoy like watching that little guy and when he was outside here caught that...they were playing catch and he was laughing. They said that's the first time he did it standing up and that's just neat," said Riley on what he gets out the project.

Braden's mother, Danielle, says they're now raising money for a playground everyone can use.

"At first it was going to be accessible then we realized there's a difference between accessibility and inclusion something that's meant to include everybody whether they're hard of hearing, the elderly or they use a walker or crutches or whatever there's something for everybody on the playground," said Danielle.

The family has been regularly invited to speak or be guests of honor at sporting events and NASCAR races.

Danielle says their cerebral palsy awareness project has snowballed and her family have been on just about every major television network.  She says there has been an outpouring of support.

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