Aanand Mehta 

In November 2019, to explore the interplay between my interests in music and volunteering, I began volunteering at a local music therapy facility, where I was. In addition to being introduced to the role of music as a rehabilitation therapy for children with neurological impediments, I discerned the extreme difficulty of children with developmental disabilities to move independently. I thought to myself, "Why do kids, who should be able to express their freedom to their fullest potential, by feeling a sudden gust of wind as they move with their friends, not have the technologies available to do so?"

Upon falling down a rabbit-hole to find solutions, I was dismayed by the fact that pediatric power wheelchairs, the most prominent solutions, retail for thousands of dollars, and take several years to receive, discouraging a child from seeking alternatives to overcome their disability.

I took matters “into my own hands” to create a cost-and-time efficient alternative that advocates for an inclusive environment, involves people of all ages, and makes a tangible difference in all areas of my community, from households to schools to hospitals. Through Magical Motors, we are fostering a group of like-minded, compassionate individuals who are ambitious to build a more diverse, equitable community that allows every person to express their freedom of mobility.

Currently, in the United States, more than 1 in 6 children have a developmental disability, notably autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy. In terms of mobility, nearly 500,000 children suffer from mobility issues from birth, and that number is rapidly growing. That proves a glaring problem: there are many kids, who should have the ability to race their friends across a park, and move without any limitations, are not able to do so. But there’s a solution: pediatric power wheelchairs; or is there?

Pediatric power wheelchairs, sold by price-hiking companies, retail for tens of thousands of dollars and can take several years to receive. These “assistive technologies (ATs)” are practically inaccessible, and counterproductively discourage the child from seeking alternatives to overcome their disability.

Championing an inclusive environment is critical in the progression of our society, and can solely be accomplished by furthering activities that promote collaboration amongst all members of the community. As an aspiring physician, I believe it is a human right for a person affected by an impediment to receive a resolution to it; further, I believe that it is essential that each person involved feels comfortable and satisfied throughout the process; we ensure this by actively working and forming personalized bonds with the child, their family, and their therapist.

As opposed to pediatric power wheelchairs, which cost thousands of dollars and take several years to receive, our Magical Motors cars cost between $250 and $300 and take 3 hours to entirely build. We accomplish this by rewiring the accelerator pedal into a hand-controlled push button, applying soldering and drilling techniques; the button is eventually attached to the steering wheel. In other words, the car is controlled by the push of your hand, not your foot. We also create back support and seat accommodations using accessible materials such as PVC pipes, kickboards, and 5-point harnesses. Finally, we aesthetically customize the car towards the recipient’s liking, permitting a sense of personalization that is not feasible with its expensive counterpart. We perform these modifications while still prioritizing recipient satisfaction and safety.

Most recently, when Sebastian, a 6-year-old with cerebral palsy, first tried to drive his Paw Patrol-themed Jeep, he could not successfully do so, because his weaker right hand could not steer the car. So, we thought to attach a PVC rod so that he could steer with his left and push with his right!

While operating these cars, recipients nurture their motor and cognitive abilities and advance their autonomy. Likewise, while building these cars, car-builders, participate in a meaningful, substantial leadership-volunteer-STEM project.

As I have modified more cars, I have discerned that each car delivery that results in a smile on a child’s face as they explore their independence is a small success in itself. To date, we have involved over 500 people in our processes, with more than 25 beneficiaries and 150 builders, and have been nominated for the Best Assistive Technology by Genius Within, and invited to the Taco Bell Ambition Accelerator Summit. Our 2-year goals include raising $25,000 to fund our expenses, donating 100 cars, and starting 3-5 chapters. Moreover, we are eager to advance our mission of helping children gain the right to independent mobility while creating an inclusive community; for this reason, we are introducing our vehicles as rehabilitation and fun, accessible transport vehicles in therapy clinics, perioperative settings, and burn clinics. On the other hand, we are consulting both STEM organizations catering toward STEM education in students, along with schools in 4 states that are currently establishing chapters to implement our curriculum in schools.

A tenet of our mission is to increase the access to car-building to all ages. For this reason, we also host build events (where we build 3 to 5 cars simultaneously) with organizations involving high schoolers, such as the Si Se Puede Foundation, to medical schools and their students, such as the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

“Wow! I can ride the car? This is mine? I wanna ride the car!” exclaimed Ollie, a 4-year-old with sacral agenesis (absence of the lower spine), when he first saw his modified ride-on toy McLaren. Moments like Ollie’s reaction are what motivate us to assist as many affected children in gaining mobility. By incentivizing independence and equitability, kids with developmental disabilities are inspired to enhance their social and motor skills. Car builders are also motivated to strengthen their STEM and teamwork skills by immersing themselves in an environment of community service and leadership.

We are elated to work with ACCEL, a widespread therapy clinic and K-12 school, to host a build event where high school students with developmental disabilities will rewire cars for their younger peers! Our other collaborations include presenting at Southwest Human Development AT conferences, organizing build events with hospital systems Valleywise Health and Tucson Medical Center, and designing curriculum with Arizona State University. We routinely collaborate with electrical engineers and physical therapists to ensure that each design is safe from the interior and exterior. We also regularly follow-up with all of our past recipients to ask if there are any concerns, and if so, we repair them for free. In the end, we aim to create a streamlined and safe process for all members involved.