In a therapy session last fall, Elsa's physical therapist mentioned that a pediatric journal had recently published an article citing positive outcomes in use of a mobility device called the Upsee, when used by children with motor delays similar to Elsa's.
Translation: There's a cool contraption called the Upsee that could possibly help Elsa make progress toward walking.
Well, then sign us up for the Upsee! Except.... Errrrrt! Brakes. The price tag was H E F T Y.
So for Elsa's Christmas and birthday gifts, our amazing family members made incredibly generous donations toward the purchase of an Upsee. And this weekend, it arrived!
So how does this thing work?
The Upsee is kind of like a puppeteering device. Elsa's legs are connected to an adult's legs (mine or Dan's), so that when we step, she steps. She's fully supported and upright - able to get a feel for walking and also able to see things from a new vantage point. All good stuff.
To get into the Upsee, first Elsa is strapped into a central harness... (Naturally we chose pink fabric for our little lady.)
Then, we fasten her in and tighten her up securely...
Then, we connect Elsa to us, at several points. Our feet are synchronized by a shared flexible footplate. The adult's foot goes on the outside, and Elsa's foot is strapped in slightly forward and to the inside.
Once her shoulders are connected to our torso, we're good to go! Moving is a bit awkward, and we're still getting the hang of it. Here's a vid...
Elsa tolerates it and almost seems to like it :o) It's easy to see how movement facilitated by the Upsee could help her body comprehend things that most of us take for granted...
The instinctual shifting of body weight. The protective impulse to step forward for stability. The ability to easily explore more varied movements that come with walking.
So it's another fun adventure! We look forward to using the Upsee in the house and out and about, too. Rowe and Schulte crews - thank you SO much for yet again helping us give Elsa every advantage possible to maximize her potential to walk.
It means everything.