As the new school year begins, students keep hearing the same question:
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"What did you do over summer break?"
While many answer with stories of exciting family vacations, one Utah teenager is sharing how he helped someone in need.
This Techie Teen Made a Wheelchair
Zac Waters is showing parents how YouTube can be a good influence. The 13-year-old learned about 3D printing on the video platform, and, as reported by PEOPLE, wanted to put his new skill set to good use.
Waters took on a pretty intensive project. He spent an estimated 300 hours this summer building a custom wheelchair for a 21-month-old girl.
"It combines my two favorite things in life: 3D printing and helping people in need," he said. "It just makes sense!"
He used that time not just to design and print the wheelchair but also to test and assemble it.
How Did He Do It?
Waters had some help from MakeGood, a nonprofit that uses 3D printing to make custom assistive devices for those with disabilities. The beneficiaries receive the items free of charge. The company also creates designs that Zac and other makers can download for free.
The nonprofit was excited to be associated with Waters' generous project.
"I want to especially thank all of our volunteer makers, just like Zac, who are spending time and resources to help others," said Noam Platt, MakeGood's founder and president. "We at MakeGood are so thrilled to see the Toddler Mobility Trainer project grow and bring makers and families together."
Added Platt, "The TMT was intentionally designed to be easy to make by anyone, so we are seeing amazing stories like Zac's. For the makers, this is a real opportunity to be a true hero to people in their communities."
The wheelchair has some great features. It includes a removable cup holder and tray table, plus space in the back for medical equipment. It can also be adjusted to fit the child as she grows.
Waters added pink details because that's the little girl's favorite color.
"[It] makes me so happy to print it and see the smiles and how happy the family is that really needs the wheelchair," shared Waters.
Waters' grandmother added, "We hope he always remembers that the greatest legacy anyone can leave is to make someone else's life better. His age does not define his ability to make a difference. His character does."
