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Related: About this forumA Lego ‘Wheelchair’ Lets This Tiny Tortoise Walk Again
http://www.takepart.com/video/2014/12/11/lego-wheelchair-lets-tiny-tortoise-walk-again?cmpid=tpdaily-eml-2014-12-11
Inspired by his sons toys, a veterinarian in Germany came up with an unexpected idea to help a reptile with a bone disease move around.
By Kristina Bravo
Kristina Bravo is Assistant Editor at TakePart.
ke the tortoise in Aesops fable, Blade walks slowly but surely. The 4.4-ounce reptile has a metabolic bone disease that makes him too weak to carry his shell, so a vet built him a custom Lego walker.
When Blades owner saw that the tortoise wasnt moving as much as her other pets, she took him to the local animal hospital.
We mounted Lego wheels on the tortoise Blade because he had a bone metabolism illness and his shell was too heavy and he had a loss of muscles, said Bielefeld, Germanybased veterinarian Carsten Plischke, according to CNET. Thats why he couldnt pick up himself and walk anymore. The bones were like rubber, and the musculature had clearly diminished.
The deviceinspired by Plischkes sons toyshas four wheels that allow Blade to use his legs while the Lego pieces bear the weight of his shell. The idea is that it will work like training wheels: When Blade gets stronger, he wont need the wheelchair anymore.
FULL story at link.
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A Lego ‘Wheelchair’ Lets This Tiny Tortoise Walk Again (Original Post)
Omaha Steve
Dec 2014
OP
3catwoman3
(24,005 posts)1. What a delightful...
...story of compassion and ingenuity!
kysrsoze
(6,021 posts)2. Awww, that's so sweet! What a nice thing to do.
I hope Blade gets to walk on his own some day.
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,330 posts)3. Commie Putin propaganda turtle!