19-year-old Canadian student's invention helps people with cerebral palsy paint and write; sold in 25+ countries

An estimated 18 million people of all ages live with cerebral palsy across the globe. Within the United States, this number ranges from 764,000 to 1 million, with about 1 in every 345 children diagnosed, according to the Cerebral Palsy Guide. Most such kids are unable to entertain themselves with the toys and activities that others their age do. But one Canadian student's invention has helped children with cerebral palsy venture into the art of painting.Straws, pipe cleaners, and sponges would seem of no use to an engineering student other than their one true purpose. But for Lianna Genovese, they sparked an idea that went beyond her room into hospitals, schools and homes in dozens of countries. The inspiration came when she met Elissa, introduced through the James Dyson Award and McMaster University as a woman with cerebral palsy who had lost the ability to use a brush and subsequently, her ability to paint as she once did. Genovese was only 18, a first-year student and studying biomedical and mechanical engineering at McMaster University in Canada. They met through a classroom project where Genovese and her classmates were working to help Elissa.The will to change lives“I wanted ...