Wiggly racoon can now walk, thanks to teen engineers [Video]

• Boone, an orphaned raccoon, has cerebral hypoplasia — a rare disorder that makes it difficult for him to move around.
• Mary Key, a staff at the sanctuary he’s living in, asked help from a nearby high school to give Boone a customized wheelchair.
• Teen student engineers happily worked on the project, and they, too, fell in love with the little raccoon!

This is Boone, an orphaned raccoon with a rare disorder, living in Nolin River Wildlife Sanctuary in Glendale, Kentucky.

With his condition called cerebral hypoplasia, it is very difficult for him to get around.

When Boone arrived at Nolin River, Mary Key felt love at first sight with the tiny little raccoon, who at that time couldn’t even open his eyes.

As Mary worked on nursing Boone, she noticed that something was wrong with him.

“Boone was diagnosed with a rare disorder, cerebral hypoplasia, that makes it very difficult for him to get around,” Mary said. “He came to us as a baby, and when it was time for him to start walking, I noticed there was a problem.”

Without control on his limbs, Boone couldn’t walk and would always flop around whenever he tries.

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Wanting him to experience walking around, Mary was looking for a wheelchair on the internet, but to no avail as the device is overly expensive. But Mary didn’t lose hope, and that internet search led her to a eureka moment!

She instead reached out to the nearby Central Hardin High School, hoping that their student engineers had something to help his little Boone walk, and they sure had!

Engineering teacher Russ Pike loved the idea. Besides helping Boone, his students would realize the importance of engineering in a community.

The team worked on the project, which started with getting to know Boone, of course. Like Mary, the students, as expected, were also smitten with the furry animal.

After a few months, Boone’s special wheelchair was done, and everyone couldn’t wait to witness Boone’s face as soon as he got a hold of it.

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“He gets really engaged and gets a very purposeful look, and when he first moved in the chair, you could see him looking like this is different, and this is good,” Russ said. “He is absolutely adorable and unbelievably sweet, and now he can get around on his own.”

His condition wouldn’t allow Boone to be returned to the wild, but instead would make him stay with Nolin River forever — which seems to be in favor of this little raccoon especially with his best friend around, a massive Great Pyrenees dog named Benton.

The two made such an adorable relationship that Boone wouldn’t trade for anything in the wild.

Source: Inspire More