NEW BERLIN — Do you remember what it was like when you got your first car? Well, for 3-year-old Vincenzo Bertoni, it was a big moment. His first car was a Jeep. He got it well before he even passed his drivers license exam. But don't worry, his dad, Angelo, was on board with this.
“I’ve never seen him light up like that before. He was in love with it instantly," Angelo Bertoni said.
This isn’t a regular toy car, though. It’s a therapy device. Children’s Wisconsin gave the car to the Bertoni family as part of the Go Baby Go program. Kids ages 9 months to 5 years old get modified cars, for free, to help improve motor functions and be more mobile. The most common alteration is that the pedals are removed and replaced with a big button in the center of the steering wheel.
“For example, they might have right-sided weakness, and we can manipulate that button to putting it over to the right side in order to improve that function of that arm or that hand. We can manipulate it to have an LED light that can draw their attention to the button to help them understand that cause and effect," Lauren Tyson, a physical therapist with Children's Wisconsin, said.
Vincenzo was born with cerebral palsy, autism, a muscle contraction impairment, and he’s deaf. Independent movement has always been difficult.
“Something’s that going to give him better mobility, since he’s only able to walk right now with assistance holding. He can’t really get around besides scooting. He’s still not able to crawl," Angelo Bertoni said.
This jeep is a game-changer for the Bertoni family.
“I think this is going to enable US to even do like our family walks and stuff like that, where he’s not just sitting in a stroller. Now he’s going to be able to participate," Bertoni said.
The Children's Wisconsin Milwaukee chapter of the Go Baby Go program has given out 450 free cars to families and kids. It wouldn't be possible without the help of Marquette University. About a dozen students and staff members help modify the car to fit each child's individual needs.
“Head supports, lateral supports, so things on the sides of the kid’s body to provide trunk support. We do things in the footwell. We do pads under their bottom. We can do buttons that light up," Molly Erickson, the program's lead engineer at Marquette University, said.
The cars also help with improved communication abilities.
"We've seen a lot of good improvements in children vocalizing more, children expressing themselves more independently. So even in kiddos who are maybe are walking independently, their speech pathologist might refer them to see if we can improve any type of postural control for improving breath support. And then being able to vocalize more independently or even for feeding needs," Tyson, with Children's Wisconsin, said.
Vincenzo is driving before many of us get behind the wheel. Surpassing expectations is a common theme in his life. Doctors said he may never walk or be able to hold up his head. But he’s doing both.
“He has got a fire in his spirit that I think is going to make him be able to do good things in his life," Bertoni said.
Now, this new Jeep will help make playtime easier for Vincenzo and his cousins.
Learn more about the Go Baby Go program here. There is also a Fox Valley chapter.
Watch Vincenzo's First Car: How a therapeutic toy car is changing the life of a three-year-old with cerebral palsy
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