Bothwell schoolgirl creates device to help disabled sister walk

Olivia Thompson, from Bothwell, has been hailed for her award-winning design after being inspired by her little sister, Gabriella, who has cerebral palsy.

The 11-year-old inventor came up with The Cloud Walker to help the three-year-old ‘learn, walk, and exercise all at once’.

The device would include an iPad with apps to help struggling youngsters find their feet.

It comes after Gabriella was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after she was born prematurely at 31 weeks, and now has difficulty moving her legs and receives physiotherapy.

The lifelong condition is caused by brain development issues, affecting mobility and coordination.

Olivia said: “Gabriella loves to dance but she struggles to walk, she sort of bunny hops to move about.

“If nobody tries to help children with cerebral palsy, they won’t be able to get around places in life.

“I feel proud that we had the chance to create something that could help make walking and physio sessions more fun and interactive.”

Olivia came up with the idea along with her St Bride’s Primary classmates Evie Anderson, Nuala Maria McKnight, and Ellie Lappin. (Image: Sourced)

Olivia came up with the idea along with her St Bride’s Primary classmates Evie Anderson, Nuala Maria McKnight and Ellie Lappin.

It comes as part of their entry for the first Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre (DHI) primary school Digi Inventors Challenge.

Now the design could be brought to life thanks to some budding engineers.

Under the tagline, ‘reach for the clouds’, the gadget's apps would provide stretching exercises, memory games, drawing activities and more.

Some only work when the child moves the device.

The P7 classmates created a video presentation for their invention which was entered into the Digi Inventors Challenge earlier this year.

Entrants were invited to present ideas inspired by health care challenges that could be transformed into a digital health and care solution.

Judges crowned The Cloud Walker the 2023 winner and City of Glasgow College engineering students may now make it into a working prototype.

Olivia said: “I am amazed that we won.

“When our headteacher announced it, I’d never seen my friends so happy.

“We worked on it for weeks, I can’t believe we were chosen.”

The pupils have also appealed for a marketing company to get plans for The Cloud Walker off the ground – and Olivia is determined to take matters into her own hands.

“If it doesn’t get invented, I will try to make it happen when I’m older, it’s important to help children with cerebral palsy, like my sister.”

Olivia’s parents, Aileen, 39, and Steven, 40, are delighted with the invention.

The dentists also have a middle child, eight-year-old Philip.

Aileen said: “I am extremely proud of Olivia and her friends.

"Both Olivia and Philip are so good at taking care of their sister.”