One of the saddest stories we read in the news from time to time is about young children who are accidentally left in vehicles. In fact, an average of 38 babies die each year as a result of heatstroke from being left in a car.
So when a young 4th grader called Sophie had to come up with a design for the “invention convention” at school, she tried to address the problem.
Encouraged by her mom, Jenny Rapson, to find an invention that needed to solve a problem — which is by no means an easy task — Sophie decided to invent a device that would help ensure that her baby brother would never be left behind in the family car.
The simple but clever idea involved finding a way to connect the baby and the parent. So with the use of two Velcro loops that wrap around the car keys and the baby’s strap on the car seat, and a long stretchy cord, Sophie invented “Sophie’s baby forget-me-not.”
What’s particularly great about Sophie’s invention is that it comes from a desire to protect babies, and that someone so young can help solve a problem that causes so much heartache.
Although Sophie does not manufacture the elements of the design herself, it is not hard to put together. In the video below, you can see how the device that would cost $12 to make, and is easy both effective and easy to use.
