My Grandfather's Genetic Disorder Analysis

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Watching someone’s health deteriorate in front of your own eyes can leave you feeling helpless. This is exactly how I felt when I saw my grandfather’s genetic disorder progress to the point where he could no longer live a normal life. Trying to help my grandfather maintain is quality of life despite his physical health is the most daunting challenge I’ve ever faced. Since he was unable to leave the house his favorite past time became sitting in his chair watching any and every sport on TV. However, he then became unable to get in and out of his chair. Seeing this devastation in my grandfather not only hurt me but inspired me to help.
At the time I was only in eighth grade and had very little knowledge of building and designing. However, …show more content…

I bought plastic stands meant to go under a bed in a dorm and I tried stacking books under each leg in search of the perfect height. Each time I put something new under the chair I had to lift up my grandfather, place the item, and then help guide him back down. Finally, I found the perfect height and a near perfect design and I went to work. My father took me to the hardware store and I picked out the wood and fasteners for the job. I wanted this done quickly so my grandfather could get back some sort of normalcy in his life. Early in the morning I drug out the saws and began cutting my lumber, gluing, and adding finishing nails. After the structure of the box was done I made sure to color match my stain to the legs of the existing chair. When I gave my grandfather the box to go under his chair he was overjoyed and so was I. This piece of furniture that I made was a part of his daily life for years until he passed away. Every time someone came into his home it was the first thing he showed off. Helping my grandpa by building him accessible furniture birthed my interest into engineering and my passion to make a tangible difference in others’ lives with my time. Facing the challenge of helping my grandfather through his disability was one of the most difficult things I have ever faced but it has given me a new direction in

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