BAUXITE, Ark. — A Bauxite teen has proven you’re never too young to change the world by using his personal experience with tragedy to make the world a better place.
Maddox Blount’s 8th grade science teacher challenged him and his class to create something that would change the world.
"I want them to get off their games, off their phones for a little bit and look at the world around them,” said Dustin Parsons, Maddox's teacher.
Maddox took a tragedy that hits close to home for him and his family and made something good out of it.
"I thought maybe I should make an invention to help people with brain cancer,” he said.
His idea was inspired by his Aunt Lisa, who Maddox said fought a long battle with brain cancer, which impacted nearly her every move.
"Her fine motor skills were just in the gutter,” said Maddox. “She couldn’t eat with a fork, and she couldn’t eat with her fingers. It was so difficult to watch.”
That’s why Maddox created the Fork Finger for his science project.
The Fork Finger allows someone to scoop their food only using one strong finger, eliminating the need for full-fine motor functioning.
Maddox invented the Fork Finger by working closely with his grandpa, attaching the head of a fork to a washable finger shield.
"What was really cool is the other kids were like, 'oh that's really cool, I haven't thought about that,'” said Parsons. “And that was the whole purpose of the project, to get them to think.”
Parsons believes Maddox can expand on his idea by helping strangers suffering from fine motor issues.
“It's really exciting because I would love for him to be able to share it with someone else he might know of,” Parsons said.
The 8th grader’s invention has now turned into his passion, saying maybe one day he’ll start a Fork Finger business with his biggest fan in mind.
"I bet she would be proud of me,” he said. “I bet she is incredibly proud of me."
Maddox said anyone with poor fine motor skills can benefit from the Fork Finger, including people with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy and brain tumors.