Clear Creek Makerspace provides tools for inventors, students, dreamers in Denver metro area
In the Clear Creek Makerspace in Wheat Ridge, small businesses, inventors, students, and dreamers are hard at work. Kay Newman is one tenant of the space who combines it all. Dreaming, inventing and learning about how to help kids with complex medical issues.
"Their daily existence isn't represented in their toys," she told CBS Colorado.
So she decided to do something about it. The idea is called "kiddo ditto." It is exactly what it sounds like. A ditto of a kiddo, dolls that have all the medical attachments some of these children have. It's used as a means of representation for young kids who would be otherwise marginalized while helping them and others around them normalize their circumstances.
"Two moms told me right away that they were gonna take the ditto right away to school, to the classroom to explain what's going on with their child," Kay said.
She, like others trying to get their businesses off the ground, used the makerspace to her advantage. She centralized her process there, utilized the 3D printers and sewing machines as well as solicited some help from one of their student employees, a Red Rocks Community College student named Owen McNeal.
"She was working on a project and I was really intrigued by what she was doing," McNeal explained. "So I asked what are you working on? And she explained it to me."
He was inspired and helped Kay refine her printing for things like the walking aid that would be given to the doll.
"If she has any questions whenever I'm not here, I'm always there to answer those because my purpose here is to help people with their projects," he added.
"People say that things that sound like I'm doing something for them but it's so gratifying for me that they're doing something for me," said Kay.
She hopes that the makerspace will help her be able to scale her work to help more kids. The goal is to be able to churn out a specific doll every couple of months as the design and creation process can take more time.
"It's hard to put into words how big the makerspace will be going forward," she said.
As others in the space, like Owen McNeal, are there to help where needs be.
"I'm here to grow her understanding of it and not necessarily be a foot in the door for a project but make it feel more digestible to her to mass produce it if she needs to," he finished.
As Kay continues to work one doll at a time.