{"id":183818,"date":"2026-05-04T21:51:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T21:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/183818\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T21:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T21:51:08","slug":"families-thankful-for-toy-cars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/183818\/","title":{"rendered":"Families thankful for toy cars"},"content":{"rendered":"

SCRANTON \u2014 The smiles spoke volumes Sunday afternoon inside the Byron Center at the University of Scranton.<\/p>\n

The tears did, too.<\/p>\n

Shirley Huffman of Springville got emotional watching her toddler, Trevor, 1 1\/2, get strapped in his customized tractor.<\/p>\n

Trevor\u2019s father, Devin Cooke, raises beef cows at Valley View Farm in Troy, Huffman said.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Trevor) can\u2019t walk and I\u2019ve been working so hard, and his therapist has been working so hard, to get him to walk,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re so, so close, but we\u2019re kind of stagnant. This is really going to help in getting him to be more mobile and getting around the farm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Trevor,<\/p>\n

Trevor, 1 1\/2 years old of Springville, rides around a track inside the University of Scranton\u2019s Byron Center Sunday afternoon on a customized tractor created by students through the Go Baby Go program. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE\/STAFF PHOTO)\n<\/p>\n

\"Haley,<\/p>\n

Haley, 4, of Equinunk, drives a customized vehicle around a track inside the University of Scranton\u2019s Byron Center Sunday afternoon during the Go Baby Go event. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE\/STAFF PHOTO)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 2<\/p>\n

Trevor, 1 1\/2 years old of Springville, rides around a track inside the University of Scranton\u2019s Byron Center Sunday afternoon on a customized tractor created by students through the Go Baby Go program. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE\/STAFF PHOTO)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

Huffman praised Go Baby Go \u2014 an international program geared toward improving mobility \u2014 for highlighting children like her son, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of neat,\u201d she said. \u201cIt kind of puts a spotlight on him, and now he has mobility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Huffman also recognized the University of Scranton students who construct the cars.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely an amazing thing,\u201d she said. \u201cThese guys are really going above and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Funded through a grant from the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Endowment, for a third consecutive year, a group of students led by Stephanie DeNaples, faculty specialist in the Department of Occupational Therapy, designed vehicles to get kids moving.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful program,\u201d Edward Leahy said. \u201cLook at all the people they got involved \u2026 we never had this many students involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leahy didn\u2019t hesitate to support the program when approached by DeNaples several years ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just said I\u2019m in, immediately,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an easy one because it\u2019s such a good thing for kids with disabilities. They get to understand the spatial dimensions, they get to understand they can do things, and they have fun, that\u2019s the key. And it\u2019s good for the students, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, more than 70 students across 11 disciplines worked together to modify 10 toy cars for children with disabilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey chopped, soldered, glued, sanded and created these vehicles with one goal in mind: to see the sparkle in the eyes of these wonderful children as they take the wheel for the first time,\u201d DeNaples said. \u201cThis isn\u2019t something they have to do, it\u2019s something they choose to do. They give up their free time, in between busy class schedules, sports, and other obligations, to work on something that directly impacts a child\u2019s life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthony Kyttle of Olyphant, expressed sincere appreciation for the students\u2019 efforts to outfit his 18-month-old daughter, Kylee, with a new toy car.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no word for it \u2026 it\u2019s almost like they\u2019re family,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Kyttle feels the new vehicle will allow Kylee \u2014 who was diagnosed with Down syndrome \u2014 a better chance to interact outside with her older sister, Madisyn, 10.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just amazing,\u201d he said. \u201cIt just makes them bond even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madisyn Kyttle, 10, flashed a bright smile when asked about being able to spend more time outside with her baby sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very nice,\u201d she said. \u201cThey did a good job.\u201d<\/p>\n

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