Lego wheelchair keeps injured turtle on the move

An eastern box turtle is on the mend andon the moveagainthanks to the creativehelping hand of a student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon.

Garrett Fraess was doing a nine-week internship with the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore when he becamepart of a team of veterinarians who built awheelchair from Lego to help the turtle recover.

The turtle was brought to the zoo's hospital after a staff member discovered the reptilein a nearbypark with multiple fractures onthe underside of itsshell. After undergoing extensive surgery, the turtlerequired rest and recuperation time, which limited its mobility.

In order to keep the turtle mobile,Fraessbuiltit a wheelchair using what he called everyone's favourite childhood toy.

Lego wheelchair keeps injured turtle on the move

6 years ago

Duration 0:36

An Eastern Box Turtle is on the move and mend again, thanks to a helping hand from a student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine.

"We were brainstorming and trying different things, and none of them were working quite right, then I thought 'What about Lego?'" Fraesstold CBC Radio'sSaskatoon Morning.

The veterinary student reached out to a friend in Denmark, who he described as a Lego enthusiast, and together they designed a wheelchair to help keep the turtle moving. Fraesscame up with schematics for the chair using his knowledge of the reptile's anatomy,while his friend provided the Lego pieces and the sketches of her visionfrom afar.

The one-of-a-kindwheelchair was assembled in Maryland and custom fitted using surgical equipment from the zoo and a bit of plumbers putty to keep it attached to the grapefruit-sized turtle.

Fraess said the chair has made a difference to the reptile's well-being.

"He was moving around, he was turning on a dime, he was able to withdraw himself in his shell; it was really cool to see him perk up," Fraess said.

Turtles have a slow metabolism, saidFraess, whoestimated it will take roughly one year for the critter tofully heal from the fractures.

He said because the chair is constructed of Lego, vets will be able to slowly remove pieces of the contraption in order to help the turtle regain its strength back on its own, similar to physiotherapy.

While turtles are known for being aquatic creatures, eastern box turtles are more ground dwellers. Although the injured reptile can't spend much time around the marshy areas where it normally resides, Fraesssaid the turtle is still able to live a fairly normal life compared to itspeers.

While he hopes he doesn't have to treat any more turtles with fractured shells, Fraesssaid he's glad he now has the resources he needs to address the problem in the future.

"The next time that happens, I'll be able to build a wheelchair really quickly," Fraess said.

With files from CBCRadio's Saskatoon Morning