Meet Kylie Simonds, an 11-year old cancer conqueror and inventor who is now on her way to starting a line of “Chemo Backpacks” for fellow pediatric cancer patients. The idea for the backpack came to Kylie from her own experience during her 46-week chemotherapy treatment to battle the soft tissue cancer rhabdomyosarcoma. While in therapy, Kylie found the heavy IV poles with their multiple wires very restrictive, making it hard to move and necessitating assistance whenever she needed to walk. Now cancer free, Kylie has designed a self-contained IV-drip system able to be carried by a child in a stylish backpack.

(Pediatric IV Backpack Prototype. Image Credit: GoFundMe)

(Kylie sports her invention. Image Credit: GoFundMe)
Kylie’s invention won multiple awards at the recent Connecticut Invention Convention, including the provisional patent award. Read more about Kylie’s creation and her efforts to get it into mass production at Fox News and WTNH News 8.