Members of the Circuit Breakers robotics team from Aledo High School hovered over their 'patients' with solder iron and tweeters, doing 'surgery.'
"It's a little bit like that," Circuit Breakers team captain Johnnie Reed said. "I didn't know how to solder a month ago and I feel like pretty much everyone on our team has become a pro at soldering."
The patients are toys. The surgery is taking them apart, figuring out how they work, and then adapting them so they are easier for children with limited fine motor skills to use.
"At 5 days old we got the official diagnosis of trisomy 18," Amber Scuderi said, explaining the chromosomal condition her 2-year-old daughter Evalyn was born with.
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Scuderi's family put out a plea on social media, looking for anyone who could adapt toys to make them easier for Evalyn to use on her own. The Circuit Breakers stepped up to help.
"I think ultimately for us, just being able to see other kids like Evalyn be able to get control of their body and get a smile on their face to play with toys in ways that are easier for them, just makes all the difference for us," Reed said.
The adapted toys are rigged to a large red button to make them move, sing, or light up.
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"It's exciting because we're working towards independence. We're not just having to do things for her," Scuderi said. "It's overwhelming and I'm eternally grateful for this team and all of their parents to have done this."
What started as an effort to help Evalyn, expanded to dozens of toys to adapt and donate through the charity Extra to Love, so that other children like Evalyn have adapted toys, too.
"It's just really nice to be able to help these kids," Reed said.
"These kids can do incredible things," Scuderi said. "It takes a doctor, or a team of robotics club, to impact these kids' lives and be willing to give their time to make their lives more joyful."
The Circuit Breakers are preparing for competition season, hoping to make it to the state and world competitions, but they want to keep volunteering their time to adapt more toys.
