Our Story

Learn how we transformed an engineering project into a nonprofit helping patients in need.
Identifying a Need
​In the fall of 2013 at the Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering, Scott Mitchell's experience with healthcare and rural medicine led us to identify a need for pediatric standing frames (also called standers), devices used to help children with severe disabilities stand in an upright position and perform weight bearing exercises. Standers have many physiological benefits, including healthy muscle and bone development, improved respiration and circulation, and better bowel function. Standers also help children socially, allowing them to interact with others and the world in a normal vertical position rather than being isolated in a room. 

Engineering a Solution
As most commercially-available standers cost thousands of dollars, our goal was to design an effective but more affordable frame for patients around the world, especially those from low-income communities and communities where physical therapy is not readily available. Our design has been through multiple iterations. Our current stander design costs just $100 to manufacture and uses locally-sourced materials. ​
Our early design.
Our current design.