A CTD Student Profile

by Lindsey Wallem We've blogged about some of the issues gifted students face, but how about hearing  about some of their accomplishments? I recently caught up with one CTD program alum who has done some amazing things in the field of prosthetics...and he's only ten! Gifted Learning Links (GLL) student Billy, age 9,  was confronted with a problem. His best friend, Isaiah, was living with only one hand. He told his friend Billy a replacement was on its way, but when it arrived, Billy was dissatisfied. Billy: "When I saw it, it was only a hook. I wanted him to have a real hand like we do," So he did what many gifted children  do: He set out to make a solution himself. He designed and constructed his version of a prosthetic arm using racetrack material, dental floss, glue, magnets, and a glove. "He puts his arm into the glove to move the fingers. He can slide two fingers around a cup to drink," But Billy still wasn't happy with the prototype hand made of household materials. It fulfilled Isaiah's need, but the racetrack material was inflexible. Billy, with the help of his mother, Joanie, sought out a mentor, someone who could help Billy perfect his design. They enrolled Billy in the Gifted Learning Links Independent Study Program through CTD at Northwestern University. Billy was nine (he has since turned ten) when he first began constructing artificial limbs, but Joanie says he had been ruminating on the concept for some time. "Billy was three when he first had the idea," she says. When he met with his mentors assigned to him through GLL Independent Study in downtown Chicago, he had the opportunity to hold the bionic hand. "Mom, this is what I imagined doing for Isaiah when I was three!" he said. Billy's mentors helped him to develop an even better version of his design using a siphon hose, string, screws, and a living hinge. This second edition was a hit. "My friend really liked it. It makes me feel good that I could help him with my creation," said Billy. It's clear that his ingenuity  and thoughtfulness has already taken him far. So what's next for Billy? "I'm working on another hand right now,"  he says, but claims but he doesn't necessarily want to pursue a career in prosthetics, just in case technology has advanced so far by that time that designs like his are rendered useless. "They might have hand transplants by then!"  an answer that illustrates he's thinking critically about the future. But after a pause, he follows up like any ten-year old with big dreams:  "I want to be a heart surgeon. Or, a baseball player," Lindsey Wallem helps to promote CTD's programming through new media efforts, including Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms on the social web.