For six years, Utah Tech University’s Physical Therapy Assistant program and the University of Utah’s Physical Therapy program have teamed up to change lives through Go Baby Go. An initiative that provides customized electric cars to children with mobility disabilities, Go Baby Go at Utah Tech was made possible this year through the Wade Family Foundation and its generous donation of $4,000. Stephen Wade Auto Center hosted the event, fittingly displaying the customized children’s cars next to their real-life, full-size counterparts. 

“Supporting the Go Baby Go initiative has been an incredibly rewarding experience for our organization,” said Herb Anderson, marketing director at Stephen Wade Auto Center. “It goes beyond just providing cars; it's about empowering children with disabilities to explore and have fun. When we learned that $4,000 was needed to support this cause, we eagerly seized the opportunity to contribute and make a meaningful difference for these families."

Students met with eight children from St. George and Cedar City earlier in the academic year to assess what the children’s interests and needs were. The children’s physical therapists also supplied the students with the children’s mobility goals, which were then implemented in the car’s design and function. 

“Go Baby Go is a way that we, as a program, can give back to the community,” Burke Jorgensen, an instructor at Utah Tech, said. “As we modify these cars, we are providing a way for these children to choose to move instead of passively being carried or pushed every day. That independence makes all the difference in that child’s development, and it changes the family’s life.” 

The cars included features like a bar to help the children stand, harnesses and padding, go buttons instead of pedals, and a remote control for the parents to help facilitate some movement. The cars were also cosmetically modified and catered to the children’s interests, with designs ranging from a lime-green Baby Yoda-themed Mercedes to a white Toyota plastered with mermaid graphics. 

Maddox was one of the children given the gift of mobility thanks to Go Baby Go. He has a rare condition called arthrogryposis, which causes joint stiffness and immobility. 

“This will help Maddox to be more active, especially outside,” Greg Turnbeaugh, Maddox’s grandpa, said. “We love playing outside as a family, so this will be great coupled with the physical therapy aspects of the car.

Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, Utah Tech’s Physical Therapist Assistant program is focused on preparing students and building excellence in human interaction, technical skills, critical reasoning, and life-long, hands-on learning, like Go Baby Go. Learn more about the program and Go Baby Go at health.utahtech.edu/physical-therapist-assistant.