It’s not how expensive or fancy something is that matters. Sometimes, a small backpack can make a big difference in someone’s life.
When 11-year-year-old Kylie Simonds, now a teenager, from Connecticut, the U.S., was asked by her fifth grade teacher to come up with something that solves an everyday problem, she knew just what she wanted to create – a backpack. But why?
Facing everyday challenges
When she was just eight, Kylie was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood cancer that affects the connective tissues in the body. Kylie had to undergo chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries while attending school.
After 46 weeks of struggle, Kylie was given a positive prognosis from the doctors at Yale Cancer Centre in Connecticut. Ever since, she has remained healthy.
However, having undergone cancer treatment herself, Kylie realised the everyday struggles associated with it. She started to lose hair and would fall sick easily. She would usually feel too weak to move around and do things. But on days when she was bright enough to go out and play, she faced the issue of immobility. Kylie had to carry intravenous (IV) poles with her everywhere she went. Often, the bulky pole, coupled with the IV drip bag attached to her, would come in the way of her play. She would often trip over wires, get tangled up in them and have to drag the pole around.
An innovation from a personal struggle
Thus, in 2014, her fifth grade teacher asked the students of her class to come up with something that could solve an everyday problem, Kylie had the answer.
From her personal struggle, she knew just how much happiness a compact backpack, which could carry the drip bag, help a child with cancer. In her words, “I would have loved this thing for myself.”
She worked with her parents to design the bag. She sought tips from her doctors and nurses to design the best version she could. The one thing on everyone’s mind was the weight of the bag. It had to be light and portable.
A few weeks later, she had her prototype ready. The backpack, which featured a Hello Kitty (cartoon) design, included a metal drip bag protection cage to prevent the drip bag from puncturing. Kylie also built-in an IV controller for the drip bag’s flow rate.
Kylie and her parents then created an online fundraiser to raise money for the backpack design. They managed to raise close to USD 55,000.
Kylie also filed a patent application for her design and has been screening companies to make her idea a reality.
What makes her special?
Having overcome cancer, Kylie drew inspiration from her personal struggle to design something that could prove useful for others undergoing something similar. It might not be a cure, but her innovation manages to provide someone a chance to play without the worry of getting tangled up.
Picture Credit : Google