Having seen a neighbour’s child die in a car from heat, 12-year-old Bishop Curry from McKinney, Texas, set out to create a device which will warn parents and authorities that a child neglected in a car needs help.
Curry first made a 3-D clay model of the device, which he calls the Oasis, then opened a GoFundMe account to solicit funds from well-wishers to manufacture the real product.
The temperature inside a car on a summer day, even with rolled down windows, can rise above 120 to 140 F. Even on a relatively mild day, the temperature inside a car can get above 100 F which can cause heatstroke for children, leading to dehydration, seizures, stroke, high fever, and, ultimately, death.
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Bishop, a regular attendee of robotics and STEM camp, came up with the Oasis Device two years ago. The device, which is attachable to a headrest or car seat, can sense if a child is unattended to for a period while simultaneously monitoring the temperature inside the vehicle.
Once the temperature gets to a certain level, the device blows out cold air while also alerting parents and authorities.
The young inventor, with his father Bishop Curry IV, who works with Toyota, raised $50,292 and then $20,000 on gofundme.com. Efforts are in motion to manufacture the final product using blue plastic with a 3D printer and secure the patent.
His father proudly tells NBC that he works for Bishop, filling out his emails, answering his telephone calls, and taking Bishop to his meetings with the attorney. “People are donating to a belief, a belief that the world can change through one child,” Bishop Curry IV submitted.
Parents and guardians are encouraged not to leave the car running and the air conditioning on thinking that will make their children safe. At the moment, 20 out of the 50 states in the U.S. have laws against leaving children in vehicles unattended to.
Of the GoFundMe, Curry’s mother, Tia, rendered: “We were so surprised by how much support we got. The word spread, and it was so easy for people to share his campaign and his passion. It blew our minds how quickly he raised the money.”
Bishop asserts: “In my opinion, the easiest way to keep kids safe is to always have a close eye on them,” Bishop tells Parents.com. “No matter if it’s someone or something. [What happened to Fern] shouldn’t happen to another baby.”
Safety organization Kids and Cars says an average of 37 children die each year in hot cars in the U.S., an this underlies the importance of Bishop Curry’s ‘Oasis’ device.
