Sunshine Scooters: Providing Mobility for Children with Special Needs
Once Tim Emerson retired, he knew he wanted to give back, he just didn’t know how he would be called to do so.
Tim, a former engineer for Proctor & Gamble from Titusville, Florida, and his wife of 46 years, Paula, have four beautiful grandchildren. Eight years ago, when Synnove (that’s Scandinavian for sunshine) was born, they didn’t know if she would survive her many challenges.
“The first two years, we were just trying to keep her alive”, Tim explained.
When Synnoves turned four, Tim’s daughter said “Dad, we have to get her moving around”. Tim credits a robotics team from Indiana who gave him the initial idea to build his granddaughter a mobility scooter. After developing a prototype, Tim worked with volunteers of different interests and skills to perfect what is now the Sunshine Scooter.
Initially Tim’s goal was to assist children so they could qualify for an electric wheelchair. “If they can’t use the joystick at their physical therapy appointment when they get fitted, they won’t qualify”, Tim said. The scooter has gone through several iterations in three short years. “The new version behaves better, it controls better, and even has a mobile app for parents to guide-assist.” Given that a non-motorized pediatric wheelchair can cost a family over $10,000, Tim takes pride in that the $600 Sunshine Scooters are repeatedly covered by donations.
To date, Sunshine Scooter has delivered more than 60 scooters over three years. Two years ago, Tim enclosed his garage where he’s dedicated all available space to building scooters 8 months out of the year for nearly 45-50 hours a week. He uses a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine, 3D printers, and custom programmed circuit boards. He even has a neighbor that bends metal for him and a few who program the electronics.
One neighbor has recently come forward wanting to convert their own garage to multiply Sunshine Scooter’s efforts. Tim is planning to move his machines there and upgrade his facility to focus on developing scooters for older children since the current model is designed to support children under 42”.
Erika Kuchinsky, Vice President, and Board Member of Genuine Human is pleased to present Sunshine Scooter with a donation to support these expansion efforts. “Sunshine Scooter is exactly the type of organization Genuine Human wants to get behind. Our mission is to go out and find Genuine Humans and enable them to do more.”
“Mobility in children is not just about getting from place to place,” Tim clarifies. “It is also about exploring the world in a way that allows for independence and healthy brain development. Given that mobile wheelchairs are expensive and unavailable to children without the ability to use them, this inexpensive alternative helps a child develop essential mobility skills much earlier. A Sunshine Scooter can change a child’s life.”
