Case Study: How a Boy in Medellín Helped Shape a Wheelchair.

CEREBRAL PALSY   |   EXTENSION PATTERN   |   STAIRS / NO ELEVATOR   |   PROTOTYPE TESTING

Clinical Snapshot
Client Presentation		Device Configuration
Diagnosis:	Cerebral Palsy (lower-body paralysis; strong upper-body control)	Product:	Cub Wheelchair (early prototype)
GMFCS Level:	5	Key Focus:	Home and transport accessibility
Tone & Spasticity:	Extension pattern (strong outward/straightening pattern)	Accessories Used:	Tray, All Terrain wheel, full PSD set
Setting:	Urban	Setup Time:	1 hours

The Clinical Challenge: A Home Accessible Only by Stairs

Juan Manuel lived with his mother in a second-story apartment in Medellín, Colombia, a city built into steep hills, with no elevator connecting their home to the street. Every trip in or out of the house meant navigating a full flight of stairs, a daily obstacle that most standard wheelchairs, built for flat hospital hallways, were never designed to handle.

Juan Manuel had lost movement and sensation in his lower body but retained strong control of his arms, neck, and head. His care team needed a chair that supported what didn't move without limiting what did, and that could physically get him out of a home that standard equipment simply couldn't reach.

The Intervention: An Early Cub Prototype, Built to Fold

Juan Manuel and his mother took part in early prototype testing for the Cub wheelchair, well before it reached its current form. His seating was configured with a medium recline and a full set of positioning support devices to manage his extension pattern, along with a tray and a All Terrain wheel for added stability. Setup took approximately two hours to achieve the postural alignment his presentation required.

The defining feature for Juan Manuel's family was the chair's lightweight, foldable design , engineered to separate into individual pieces light enough to carry.

Family Perspective

When the product trial ended, Juan Manuel's mother chose to keep using the wheelchair rather than return it , continuing to rely on it for years afterward. It had become an essential part of how the family managed daily life.

Clinical Features & Functional Benefits

Clinical Challenge: Daily stair access with no elevator in the building  →  Cub Feature: Lightweight frame that folds apart into separate pieces  →  Functional Outcome: Family can carry the wheelchair up and down the stairs piece by piece, every day

Clinical Challenge: Transporting the device to medical appointments in standard taxis  →  Cub Feature: Compact, foldable frame that packs into a trunk  →  Functional Outcome: Family manages appointments independently, without needing specialized transport

Clinical Challenge: Extension-pattern muscle tone affecting postural control  →  Cub Feature: Full positioning support device (PSD) set  →  Functional Outcome: Juan Manuel stays safely and comfortably positioned throughout the day

Clinical Challenge: Limited participation in family mealtimes  →  Cub Feature: Integrated tray  →  Functional Outcome: Juan Manuel rests his arms and takes part in meals and activities at the table

In Memory of Juan Manuel

Juan Manuel passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic. His early feedback as a prototype tester helped shape design decisions that continue to support children navigating stairs, hills, and narrow doorways around the world today.