A mother from Israel has invented a wonderful invention which will let children walk who never had the opportunity to do so. Debby Elnatan is a music therapist and a mother to a disabled child who has cerebral palsy and thought up of the idea due to her own pain and desperation. The device is called The Firefly Upsee

The firefly Upsee has the potential to change thousands of children’s and families lives by giving disabled children the opportunity to walk and be able to play with friends. The device also makes lives easier for families and makes a bond between parent and child. This means the firefly Upsee is a harness which straps a parent and a child together. The harness uses a belt and dual sandals in which the parent and child will wear while in the harness. This allows for the child to stand up straight while in the harness and lets the parent and child takes steps simultaneously while doing repetitive walking exercises. This leaves the parent and child hands free but there is also hand to hand support available.

The harness has been tested thoroughly and was a breath of fresh air in the UK and in North America. The product received backing from Leckey who are a a “globally recognised pioneer in the research, design and development of clinically focused, posturally supportive”

“It is wonderful to see this product available to families across the world,” said Ms Elnatan, who was at the official unveiling at the Leckey factory in Lisburn. She went on to say, “when my son was two years old, I was told by medical professionals that ‘he didn’t know what his legs are and has no consciousness of them’ ”.

“That was an incredibly difficult thing for a mother to hear. I started to walk him day after day, which was a very strenuous task for both of us. Out of my pain and desperation came the idea for the Upsee and I’m delighted to see it come to fruition.”

Firefly's clinical research manager and occupational therapist, Clare Canale, said the product could help families across the world.

'Short-term, the Upsee improves special needs family participation and quality of life, while research suggests it has the potential to help with physical and emotional development in the longer term,' she said.

'It has been humbling to see the progress and happiness the Upsee is creating; watching children to do simple things for the first time such as kicking a ball or playing with a sibling is wonderful for everyone involved, but especially the families.'

A company in Northern Ireland called Firefly took on the invention and started mass producing for commercial sales.

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