Tenley Stoker has lived her whole life without arms. She has missed out on some of the simple joys of life, like eating food with a spoon or fork. The 10-year-old from Stevensville, Montana was used to eating lunch on her own with an assistant who fed her bite by bite. This all changed when her parents learned of a high-tech feeding device known as Obi that scoops and serves food on a spoon for those who need assistance.
“It has really empowered her and changed her as a person,” Stoker’s father, Mathieu Stoker, told PEOPLE Magazine. “With this [device] she’s in the normal lunch room visiting with her peers, eating all the same foods they’re eating at her own pace.”
Jon Dekar, a 34 year old Engineer and inventor, created this product to help transform the lives of users. Dekar was first inspired to create Obi during his freshman year in high school after watching his grandfather slowly lose his independence. He developed the first prototype in 2006 as an engineering student at the University of Dayton. “It’s about giving back a sense of independence,” says Dekar, who explains that many users often cry when they first use the machine. “Being able to truly eat independently just means the world to them.” via PEOPLE Magazine.
