Go Baby Go gives child with special needs his own set of wheels

CLINTONVILLE, Wis. (WBAY/Gray News) - A Wisconsin child with special needs received a battery-powered car designed specifically for him on Friday, WBAY reports.

A collaboration between Children’s Wisconsin and Fox Valley Technical College is helping local children with special needs have more mobility, and it is all part of the nationwide program, Go Baby Go.

Nineteenth-month-old Myles Hill is the owner of a new child-sized Lamborghini made just for him.

Go Baby Go puts together specially fitted electric ride-on cars for children with special needs.

Myles’s mom Lisa Hill says that his brothers were concerned about getting to do some things with Myles, like riding a bike, when they found out he had Down syndrome.

“They were worried they wouldn’t be able to do some of those things, so this is amazing. They get to teach him how to use this, and he gets to go along on our bike rides and our walks, and gives Myles a little more freedom, too, so they can see that he’s just like every other kid,” Hill said.

After months of fittings and modifications, Myles finally took his Lamborghini out for a spin.

“It was making sure he was in the right age, the right size to get into the car, too. It’s been honestly amazing because Children’s has helped along the way with every step,” Hill said.

Thanks to donors and the hard work of engineering students at Fox Valley Technical College, the child-sized cars are free for families.

“I might as well use my knowledge to help other people,” Arlos Luna, a member of the FVTC Automation and Electronics Club, said. “We can start with something as basic as [modifying] a car, but those kids will appreciate it.”

Myles is catching on fast and celebrating some new milestones.

“We’ve been practicing with a little button. A friend made us a little button to practice with,” Hill said. “As you saw, he would keep pushing, pushing pushing, but not holding it, and then to see in a short period of time that he understands, ‘I push it and I go,’ so those little steps are huge steps for us.”

Those huge steps are helping Myles gain more mobility, independence and confidence, allowing him to just be a kid and have fun with his big brothers.

“I’m pretty sure his two older brothers are going to take him out for a spin,” Hill said.

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