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Double Amputee Reinvents Herself as Mermaid
It's an invention idea that morphed from a creative answer to a child's curiosity into a creative solution for a swimmer who lost both of her legs.
Read more articles from the March 2009 issue of InventHelp's newsletter for inventors |
New Zealand native Nadya Vessey was born with a condition that prevented her legs from developing properly. She lost her first leg at age 7 and by age 16, she had both legs removed at the knee. A sports lover by nature, Vessey became an avid swimmer who visited her local pool or beach several times a week.
One day at the beach, her condition piqued the interest of a 4-year-old boy, who asked her all of the "why" questions about her legs as she removed her prosthetics. Rather than delve into the logistics of amputation with a young child, the lifelong teacher and mother of a 30-year-old daughter opted for a more creative answer. "Have you ever seen The Little Mermaid?" she asked, referring to the famous Disney film. The boy said he had. "Well," she said, "I am a mermaid."
Little did she know that 3 years later, her off-handed remark would become a reality. Inspired by her interaction with the curious youngster, Vessey searched online and found the Weta Workshop, an award-winning special effects company that worked on blockbuster fantasy films like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia.
"Just on an impulse, I sent off the e-mail," Vessey told ABCNews.com. "They replied immediately and said, ‘Yes.' The whole thing kind of snowballed after that. It just took off in such a magical way."
Richard Taylor, co-founder of Weta Workshop, told New Zealand media that his company had worked on projects for people with disabilities in the past, including providing makeup for individuals with severe scars. A local grant funded a portion of the project and Weta absorbed the rest of the cost, which reached into the thousands of dollars.
With the project fully underway, Vessey stressed that the tail must be both functional and beautiful. This posed a "pleasing" challenge for the designers at Weta. They had worked on mermaid tails before, but those tails only needed to be aesthetically pleasing to a theater audience. Crafting the tail such that it could propel the swimmer through the water was a different story.
A team of eight design engineers used 3-D modeling, milling technology to shape the tail and vacuum forming to make a mold. Polycarbonate, which is easy to mold, was used to create the fins and spine. The tail's skin was specially designed to look like real scales, but with a bit of iridescence for visual effect. The skin itself is produced from Lycra and wet-suit fabric.
Like all great ideas, the final product was the result of trial and error. A wildlife photographer – who had spent years keenly observing how fish and birds swim – ultimately developed the winning design.
Almost three years later, Vessey was able to take what may be the world's first fully functional mermaid tail on its maiden voyage. She was surprised to discover that she had to relearn some of her swimming techniques to accommodate her new appendage. The breaststroke and butterfly strokes are the easiest, she says, and she's even thinking of using the tail to help her complete the swimming section of a triathlon.
Vessey's journey from amputee to mermaid has even inspired her friend to write a children's book in her honor. For her part, Vessey hopes her story will encourage others to invent creative solutions for their disabilities.
We at InventHelp love this Mermaid's Tale and we couldn't agree more!
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