7 minute read
REIMAGINING THE WORLD OF PROSTHETICS
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
How a Gahanna nonprofit launched by a high school student is reimagining the world of prosthetics, boosting those with limb differences.
By Jack McLaughlin Photos by James DeCamp
Aaron Westbrook was born with a right arm that ends shortly after his elbow. And while many see his limb difference as a hindrance, it’s helped him—an Ohio State senior on the cusp of much bigger things—achieve more than many do in a lifetime.
The New Albany High School alum is not only an accomplished photographer and on track to complete a business degree from OSU’s business school this spring, he also happens to be the founder and CEO of an impactful, Gahanna-based nonprofit that uses 3D printers to craft customizable prosthetics for those in need.
For Westbrook, it all started—both his budding nonprofit and a personal hunger to grow himself and help others in the process—when he began his high school career.
“It was in high school when I joined a group called the Nub Club, a support group for parents and kids which connected me to other people with limb differences,” he said. “I had gone my whole life up until (then) not knowing anyone like me, and so I did everything I could to plug into the whole experience.”
And one of the ways he did so was by opting to try a prosthesis, something that was a first for the high schooler.
But Westbrook wasn’t impressed with his prosthetic limb. It felt clumsy, uncomfortable, and seemed to only hide his limb difference, not actually offer any new functionality. And at such a high price point, he felt they should have offered much more.
“I was exposed to what’s available and affordable, what’s accessible, and so many of those devices were very static and simple, they just didn’t have a lot of function,” he said. “I didn’t just want a mannequin hand that might help me blend in better.”
It was around this time when New Albany High School launched a grantfunded program for students to work in a technology lab setting, and Westbrook saw an opportunity: If no one else was going to make a change in the industry, he would do so himself.
After an inordinate amount of hard work, determination, and good oldfashioned research, Westbrook began creating his own fully-customized prosthetics with cutting-edge technology.
“I mean, I never thought I would see a 3D printer in my life,” he said. “There was only one teacher in the school who knew how to use the printer, and I remember knocking on his door for help when he didn’t even know who I was.”
As his confidence and technical skill grew, Westbrook purchased his own 3D printer (after raising the $2,400 needed through a kickstarter campaign), and launched Form 5, at the age of 16.
The very first Form 5 prosthetic recipient was a child by the name of Maddie whose mother was a member of The Nub Club, as well as someone Westbrook will never forget. →
↑ 3-D printed prosthetics
↑ Aaron Westbrook working the 3-D printer
“It was really important, not only in terms of getting her unique perspective, but also to understand my role in the process better,” he said. “We had a back and forth where I understood what she was asking in terms of where her device needed padding; where it was uncomfortable, because I had been there myself.”
Another Form 5 recipient was a Lincoln High School graduate named Jodie, who also stands out in Westbrook's mind.
“She told me she hadn’t been on a bike since she was a kid, and once she got her prosthetic she wanted to ride in the Pelotonia,” Westbrook said, noting that Jodie’s resolve inspired him to take on the ride for himself. “The next thing I knew, August came around and I rode the furthest I ever have on a bike.”
Entering its fifth year as an entity, Form 5 is now ready to expand its reach. Previously, the group typically helped five individuals secure custom prosthetics each year, and Westbrook hopes to see that number growing in 2022, especially since Form 5 is also pairing with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to expand its reach in Greater Columbus.
And if you ask Westbrook how he was able to create a technology-based nonprofit from the ground up while in high school, or how he’s able to navigate the twists and turns of operating a complex organization all while juggling a fulltime course load, he’ll give you the same answer.
“All of this really, it happened through the process of figuring out how things work, and how to make things happen,” he said. “As a person with a limb difference, that’s my experience; that’s what I have to do every day, often with tasks others take for granted. And when I applied that to something bigger, when I worked my way through these processes, I was able to make important things happen, and I don’t plan on slowing down.”♦
↓ Aaron Westbrook demonstrates the prothetics
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The Gahanna Parks and Recreation Department is pushing forward into the future with the formulation of a refreshed master plan.
↑ Photo courtesy of Tim Courlasn
By Jack McLaughlin
From buttonbush swamps to a bevy of spring wildflowers, the City of Gahanna oversees a sweeping 750 acres of parkland and reserve (including the venerable Gahanna Woods State Nature Preserve), the most per capita in Central Ohio.
And now, with a new comprehensive master plan taking shape, Gahanna’s Parks & Recreation Department is looking toward the future.
According to Gahanna Parks and Recreation Director Stephania Bernard- Ferrell, the city has had the desire to implement the Department’s 2006 comprehensive plan for some time. But now, Gahanna also has the financial ability to do so.
The passage of Issue 12 in 2019, which shifted the income tax rate from 1.5 to 2.5 percent (with 75 percent of the additional 1% collected earmarked for capital projects), has opened the door to future progress, and will continue to do so.
“The Gahanna Parks and Recreation Department had been challenged financially for many years,” Bernard- Ferrell said. “Issue 12 created a funding mechanism to address years of deferred maintenance as well as aging and outdated facilities and playgrounds.”
According to Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin, financial limitations were one of the reasons that many of the city’s plans–practical and efficient as they may have been–were never put into motion.
“Issue 12 has significantly changed the landscape for what we are financially able to do for the community.”
The funds from Issue 12 will be used for capital development, in addition to operational costs and regular upkeep of facilities. “We need to balance the desire for new amenities and the need to maintain what we currently have,” Bernard-Ferrell said. “We have a maintenance program now that was never able to run efficiently before due in large part to funding.”
The Parks comprehensive master plan will include an evaluation of existing parks facilities, which will later be incorporated into the City’s first-ever long term capital improvement plan, added Mayor Jadwin.
- Stephania Bernard- Ferrell, Gahanna Parks and Recreation Director
And while it’s too soon to know all of the capital projects Gahanna has slated for 2022, there are several impactful projects for parks already on the agenda.
One of them will be an expansion of the city’s trail system that connects to a larger portion of the existing trails. “We want to emphasize connecting everything together; we want to make the entire community walkable and bikeable,” Bernard-Ferrell said.
Mayor Jadwin agreed that the city’s trails are a priority and believes the continued expansion of our trail system will not only benefit local residents, but also impact Gahanna’s regional connectivity. “It would connect us to other trails, and would better connect us to the region overall,” she said.
The city is also making sure to include resident voices in the process of crafting the Parks master plan. “There will be many public engagement opportunities, including focus group meetings, community stakeholder meetings, input from the parks and recreation board, and resident surveys,” Bernard-Ferrell said.
“Our focus as a city for 2022 is rebuilding, reinforcing and reimagining. Refreshing the parks master plan is one of several initiatives underway where we will reimagine and plan for the future of our community,” Mayor Jadwin said. “Having an achievable, realistic strategy for how we move forward is critical to ensuring that our residents know we are investing taxpayer dollars effectively and responsibly.” ♦
