Trine Students Build Custom Walker for Sophia Dillon
Engineering students spent nine months designing and building a personalized walker for a Fort Wayne girl with a chromosome deletion.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Special Needs
Trine University engineering students built a custom walker for Sophia Dillon, who was born with a chromosome deletion affecting her muscle tone and cannot walk independently. The project followed a request from Parkview Health physical therapist Jithmie Jayawickrema after Sophia's old walker no longer fit as she grew.
Why it matters
As Sophia grows, a properly fitted mobility device is essential to her independence and daily routine. The project also shows how a healthcare provider and a university can collaborate to meet a patient's specific physical needs.
The custom walker took nine months to design and build and includes phone and water bottle holders plus a backpack space. Trine University helped offset part of the cost, though the total price and the university's share were not disclosed.
The players
Trine University
A private university in Angola, Indiana, known for its engineering programs, whose students served the project as a capstone.
Parkview Health
A Fort Wayne-based health system whose physical therapist initiated the project and which is inviting patients to share care stories.
The details
Sophia Dillon's old walker no longer fit her as she grew, prompting physical therapist Jithmie Jayawickrema to email Trine University asking whether engineering students could take on the project. The students worked with Sophia over nine months, and the finished walker was painted a color different from the original blue as a surprise.
Timeline
Nine months: engineering students designed and built the custom walker.
November 9, 2026: article about the custom walker was published.
Community Connection
The project reflects the capstone model Trine University uses to connect engineering students with real-world problems. It places a university design program alongside a regional health system to solve a single child's mobility needs.
Families in Fort Wayne with children who need mobility devices can see how a custom walker can be tailored to a child's growth and daily needs. Parkview Health's patient story submissions offer a way for families to share similar experiences.
The takeaway
Custom equipment that grows with a child can make a lasting difference in independence and daily comfort. Families seeking adaptive devices can ask their care providers whether a university or local partner might help design one.
Further reading
For more on adaptive equipment and family support, explore Special Needs coverage in Fort Wayne.
More information
Patients and families can share their own care experiences through Parkview Health's patient story page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NewsChannel 15 WANE-TV Fort Wayne.
