Denver Child Receives Gift Of Mobility Thanks To Kind Stranger From Washington State

DENVER (CBS4) - Getting around like the rest of his peers is something that usually isn't so simple for 3-year-old Ollie Horton. He has a physical disability that requires a walker.

"He was late to crawl. He's almost 4 (years old), and he's still not walking and so yeah movement and mobility has always been a challenge for him," Johnny Horton, Ollie's dad, explained.

That's why Eli Murphy, a Seattle-area 8th grader, decided to help him out.

"Mostly just because it felt like the right thing to do, but I was also looking for something to do while COVID was going and just gave me some sanity throughout this tough time," he said.

Eli adapted a rideable electric toy car for Ollie as a school project. He altered the car's steering system and pedals, and added padding and a lap belt. All while doing online schoolwork.

"It was fairly easy. I just had to maneuver around some things in my everyday schedule, but once I got that down it was pretty easy from there," he said.

The car and material cost less than $400. That's much cheaper than a motorized wheelchair which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Ollie seems to love his new mobility.

"Every time he learns something new on the Jeep you can just see him light up, and that empowerment is just really really fun for us to see," said Johnny.

"I think it's really cool with what he's been able to do in just the past two days of having it," Eli said.

Eli was funded by the California-based nonprofit Harbor Freight Tools for Schools as a pilot to demonstrate how skilled trades classes can be taught online during the COVID-19 pandemic.