For The Girl Who Battles Cancer, Here’s A Pet Dragon [Video]

• A 14-year-old teen battling cancer wished to see a dragon from the Make-A-Wish-Foundation.
• The foundation teamed up with Arrow Electronics to create a dragon while EmergeStudios provided the medieval castle.
• The dragon was created specifically for Belle and she got to bring it home.

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Fourteen-year-old Belle Cress had 10 months of intensive chemotherapy and a number of surgeries for her osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. After her battle, she put in an extraordinary request through the Make-A-Wish-Foundation: a pet dragon.

All across the United States, 8,800 kids had their wishes come true because of the foundation — pandemic or no pandemic.

So why not Belle? She has loved dragons ever since she can remember and slaying them is not on her mind, only cancer. But to lay her eyes on one would be a dream come true.

And so, Make-a-Wish Denver partnered with Arrow Electronics to design and make a robotic dragon for Belle.

They whisked Belle away to EmergeStudios, which created an initial virtual meeting in a studio at the Cherokee Ranch castle in Colorado. It was made to look like a 15-century castle. But when Belle removed the VR headset, the dragon was beside her!

The dragon is a marvel of robotics and engineering made from a number of computer boards, individually printed #D scales, and 26 motors. The dragon, which Belle named “Dusk”, sees and recognizes Belle’s face, moves freely, stretches its amazing wings, and responds in different ways to her touch.

As Victoria Pea, Arrow Electronics’ project manager, said, “Why we’re building a robotic dragon for just one kid, is because it’s for just one kid. We want her to be happy, and if a robotic dragon is going to make her happy, I say ‘why not build it?’”

As Belle recalled the magical encounter, she said she was, “Excited … like a feeling that I can’t really explain in my chest … sort of nervous… excited.”

What is even more awesome is that Belle got to take Dusk home!

Dusk was programmed and built specifically to respond to her voice, face, and touch!

Thanks to Make-a-Wish, Arrow Electronics, and Cherokee Ranch, the girl who has been battling cancer is now a dragon trainer!

Source: Good News Network