In Lehi, Utah, 13-year-old Zac Waters spent nearly 300 hours of his summer break building a mobility chair for a 21-month-old girl who needs help moving independently. He customized the chair using open-source plans from MakeGood. ABC4 Utah first reported the story on August 5, 2026, and news of the teenager’s commitment soon drew attention beyond the United States.
The chair stands out for its flexibility. Zac modified the original MakeGood design so it could be adjusted as the child grows, adding adjustable footrests and head support. He included a removable cup holder and tray table, with flexible safety straps. The backrest was reinforced to accommodate heavier medical equipment if needed. Pink accents, the child’s favorite color, finish the chair.
From YouTube Inspiration to Real-World Impact
Zac’s interest in 3D printing began with YouTube tutorials, but discovering MakeGood, a nonprofit that connects families with volunteers skilled in assistive technology, set the project in motion. The organization provides open-source blueprints so volunteers can make devices at home with consumer-grade 3D printers. Zac spent his vacation preparing digital files and printing components, then tested their fit before assembling the final structure. He described the process as a blend of his two passions: 3D printing and helping others.
Each stage called for care, from fitting the modular parts together to making practical adjustments for comfort and usability. The chair meets the child’s current needs and can be adapted as she grows, offering foresight often missing from standard pediatric mobility aids.
Designing for Growth and Everyday Life
The chair’s modular construction means that as the child gets older, specific parts, such as the footrest or headrest, can be swapped out or resized without rebuilding the entire device. This flexibility matters to families because it reduces both cost and disruption. PETG and TPU plastics, along with select metal components and auxiliary wheels, keep the chair lightweight yet sturdy. MakeGood puts the material cost for a single unit at around $150, making it accessible compared with commercial alternatives.
MakeGood’s Toddler Mobility Trainer, the model Zac used, is designed for children aged one to eight and aims to encourage independence and coordination through social interaction. The organization offers the design files under an open license, allowing families and volunteers worldwide to produce the device with standard 3D printers. The average wait for a volunteer-built chair is about 70 days, reflecting demand for such solutions.
Family Support and Future Ambitions
Throughout the project, Zac’s family provided steady support. His grandmother likened it to the bumpers in a bowling alley: guiding him while leaving room for experimentation. For the Waters family, the project’s value lies not in Zac’s age but in the tangible improvement it brings to another child’s life. Zac sees the experience as a stepping stone toward a technical career and hopes to keep developing assistive devices for those in need.
Young innovators using technology to solve real-world problems are not uncommon, but Zac’s dedication to open-source design and home fabrication offers a practical model for others. A related report on children adapting to unique challenges describes the impressive underwater vision skills developed by the Moken community’s youth, another example of ingenuity meeting necessity.
Zac did not invent the original design. His commitment to adapting and assembling the chair for a specific child shows how accessible technology and community support can bridge gaps in care.
