ERLANGER, Ky. — Innovation knows no age limit. In northern Kentucky, a group of young students from the Ignite Institute worked to develop a product aimed at assisting people with Parkinson’s disease or hand tremors. 

What You Need To Know

  • Approximately 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

  • Ignite Institute students Reagan Farkas, Eleanor Reilly, Joy Sloan and Nancy Kirk designed a toothbrush holder to help people with hand tremors

  • The girls worked in partnership with Magnolia Springs, an assisted living community facility to test their 3D design

  • Reagan Farkas has atypical hand tremors and had difficulty brushing her teeth, which was the inspiration for the project

Biology class is something every high schooler must participate in, but at the Ignite Institute student are pushed to dream big and think greater.

Students Reagan Farkas, Eleanor Reilly, Joy Sloan and Nancy Kirk spent weeks developing a unique toothbrush holder to help individuals having Parkinson’s disease, a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system causing hand tremors.

Reilly explained how the holder was created. "We added this wider part, at the bottom here. It helps keep it from tipping, so it doesn’t get dirty when it’s sitting on the counter. It also has a tapered handle to make sure that it’s easier to hold on to," she said.

The girls worked together sketching to develop the idea and were able to print 10 prototypes. They say everyone played an essential role in making this project happen.

"There’s never really a negative moment because we kind of can really bounce back off each other really well,” shared sloan.

They secured a partnership with Magnolia Springs, an assisted living community facility in Florence. The girls attended weekly meetings, speaking with residents who shared their opinions on the project. At the meetings, they met 101-year-old retired design engineer Dwight Harris, who says this project has allowed him to relive his work.

"It developed stage by stage every week. I added something else to it. We discussed what to do and what not to do, and ended up in a very, I think, very successful project all around,” he shared.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke, approximately 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

The girls say that this project was important because of their own personal experiences.

While sharing that they all know someone in their family who suffers from hand tremors, Reagan Farkas opened up and revealed her own struggle. 

"I have atypical tremors,” Farkas said. “They’re not essential tremors. And they’re not as severe as someone who would have essential tremors. But I just have small shakes in my hands, and it causes difficulty with brushing your teeth. That’s where we got our idea from.”

They cannot believe their own success. The four young minds are an example of how true teamwork can lead to impactful innovation.

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