Seventeen children with disabilities are receiving adapted cars assembled by volunteers at Glenora Community Hall in Edmonton. The hall was turned into a workshop for the day, where volunteers worked on the vehicles as part of Go Baby Go, a program run with Variety - the Children’s Charity of Alberta.

The cars are intended to give children more freedom and enjoyment, and are suited to children aged one-and-a-half to 12. The program has provided more than 400 cars to families since it began in 2019. Families receive the cars at no cost.

Maya Wynckers of Variety said the vehicles can help children take part in social settings in a way that draws attention to the car rather than a wheelchair. “This programme is really cool because it gets kids out of their wheelchairs into a car that looks cool,” she said. “Then (they’re) not as stigmatized, and other kids, when they’re out and about, they think, ‘Oh wow, cool, it’s a super cool car,’ and they want to engage. “A lot of times, when kids are in wheelchairs, (other) kids are afraid and they don’t really want to engage because it’s unknown to them.”

One recipient this time is Mylah, the daughter of Taylor Bell. Mylah was diagnosed with Rubenstein-Taybi Syndrome when she was about six months old, Bell said, and the family is excited to receive a car. Mylah is nearly three and cannot yet walk, making the vehicle a potential way for her to move around independently.

“It’s so special. We got Mylah’s diagnosis super young, about six months old,” Bell said. “There’s been so many hard days in her journey and in our journey with her, and to have something like this, that’s so rewarding and so fun for her … it’s an amazing day. We love it so much.”

Scott Little was among the volunteers assembling Mylah’s car on Wednesday. His daughter knows Mylah and received a car last spring. Little said his daughter enjoys driving around the yard, which gives her some independence instead of being carried by her parents. “Me and my wife have been wanting to give back, so this was a good opportunity,” he said.

The cars can be modified to fit children’s needs. Wynckers said some vehicles can use a brain computer interface that turns a child’s thoughts into a command to move. “We can actually connect a car to a system that translates through your brain to get it to go,” she said. “The kid just has to think, ‘Go go go,’ and then it will actually move the car.”

Other adaptations include upper body support, stabilizers and push-to-go buttons for children with limited lower- or upper-body mobility. Bell encouraged families with children who have mobility issues to apply. “I hope that more people out there see this and apply for their kids that have mobility issues because it’s just so rewarding,” she said. More information about the free program is available online. CTV News Edmonton’s Noah Rishaug contributed files.

Based on reporting by CTV News Edmonton.