When Her Son Couldn’t Walk, Inventive Mom Lent Him Her Legs

Debby Elnatan's son Rotem was born with cerebral palsy, and told by doctors he shouldn't crawl or walk. Rather than heed their advice, Elnatan decided she would find a way around it.

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CAPTION HERE

Determined for her son to walk and stand, the 56-year-old from Jerusalem began helping Rotem "behind [the doctors'] backs" by stooping or kneeling to assist him, and eventually creating a harness that would allow him to walk with her. The product - called UpSee - is now being sold internationally and could change the lives of children around the world.

Some mom!

"My turning point was at the playground where I walked Rotem back and forth between the slide and the ladder," Elnatan tells the Good News Blog. "While feeling the stares and the pity of the other moms who sat on the park benches while their children played freely, I felt sorry for myself. Returning home with back pain from the strenuous activity, I started my journey."

Elnatan began by creating a primitive harness for Rotem, which held him upright, then tied their feet together. When that wasn't the ideal arrangement, she decided to create wooden sandals that would later evolve into flexible double-sandals.

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CAPTION HERE

"This design provided Rotem and I with the ability to learn from each other," Elnatan explains. "Rotem could feel and learn the components and synergy of my healthy gait, while I could feel Rotem's stepping initiation and follow his lead."

Eventually, the super mom created what is now known as the UpSee harness, which enables Rotem to be supported by a hip belt around Elnatan. It allows infants and small children to stand and achieve repetitive walking training with the support of an adult, and in addition to the belt, utilizes those specially-engineered sandals that allow the parent and child to step simultaneously. The device became a sensation.

"It was very difficult to get this product out," Elnatan remarks. "I tried for many years to find investors. They all said it was not attractive as it was a niche market."

Now children who could not participate in family and friend activities have a chance to do so with the assistance of their parents.

"When I get emotional is when I see what other families are doing with it and how they claim it is changing their life," Elnatan remarks. "I just did what came naturally for me. I have many other inventions. This is just the first."

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