2023, Spring, a visit to Singapore, met an 18-year old young boy Tom Teoh and a professional occupational therapist Miss Esther Tan. Esther is looking after Tom’s case in her clinic to improve Tom’s daily living activities.

We understand that Miss Tan needs a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to meet physical, emotional, and practical needs. Tom’s main challenge is limited mobility, the possibility of falling and the need for help with daily activities.

Tom weighs at 120 kgs, needs mobility aid to transfer from the bed to the wheelchair or from the wheelchair to the toilet. He is currently using a lifting hoist and a sling.

Tom reflects every time he wears the sling and being lifted up by the hoist, he feels pain and discomfort in the groin area and a pressure pain in the lower back area.

The main purpose of the visit was to help Esther introduce and develop a mobility aid – a sling that would allow Tom to reposition comfortably with the help of a hoist.

On-site studies has been made and the cause of pain due to the pressure points from the wearing sling is identified.

Muscular dystrophy has a symptom of muscular strength lost, most patient has sensitive skin and muscle.

Identified issues cause the pressure generate are came from:

1)Excess material from the size of the sling

2)The shape of the sling does not well fit with Tom’s body posture when he is wearing the sling.

3)The softness of the sling material.

4)No extra soft cushion padded at the sensitive skin area.

With Esther’s input and our enhanced design manufacturing, we improved the design of the sling that suits Tom’s use.

The slings are designed in a butterfly shape to support Tom’s weigh, added with extra padding, silky fabric and soft surface, and we’ve also reduced the extra material that come come into contact with his skin. In addition, a wearing method of the sling for Tom is set, while there is a limited space to wear the sling when he was sitting on his wheelchair.

Following the case, user Tom felt better and less pain when repositioning the lift while wearing a sling.