Any parent will tell you, they’d move mountains for their kids. Sometimes in life, we get lucky enough to find friends who will help.

Cherryland lineworker Dustin Ockert is a loving husband to his wife Angie and proud dad to daughter Courtney and son Derrick—more commonly known as “Little D.” Derrick has a condition called Christianson syndrome. “He’s 17 now. He can’t walk or talk and he can’t feed himself, but he’s fun to be around. He’s got a way of communicating with us,” Dustin explained. But with several food allergies, limited mobility, and an important routine, it can be a challenge to take trips or get out of the house.

When Dustin’s friend and co-worker, Cherryland mechanic Andy Hanna, invited the Ockerts on a week-long camping trip in Wisconsin, the Ockerts weighed their options. “Four or five days in the grass and the dirt. There aren’t any paved trails around the campground (for Derrick’s chair) and it’s hard for us to find somebody to watch him for that long. We didn’t want anyone to feel like they have to stay at camp with us, so we just declined,” Dustin explained.

Andy looked at this challenge as an opportunity. He said, “We need to figure out how to put some big wheels on that thing. Some Power Wheels!” That sparked an idea. Soon after, Andy, Dustin, and a handful of buddies started to build what would become known as “The ORB,” or off-road buggy, for Little D.
Of course, Little D still needed his everyday stroller for getting around. So for their first task, they needed to find a spare. Andy and his wife Whitney just happened to stumble upon a special needs stroller in perfect condition at a flea market, securing a key piece of the project. “That was the bones. It was a spare stroller, so if we ruined it, well, we ruined it,” explained Dustin.

From there, the mechanic and his crew did what they do best. They took the stroller and a kids’ Power Wheels Jeep and started tinkering. Andy said, “It was just a matter of collecting bits and pieces and putting them together. A lot of trial and error with some of the components, trying different switches and stuff until we figured out a system that works smooth and was convenient.”

“The very first night we worked on it, we actually had it powered enough that I could ride on it,” chuckled Dustin. He continued, “Then it was a matter of getting the wiring and the switches just right, modifying some things to make it safe.”

Eventually, The ORB had tires with better tread, thanks to a donation from Einstein Cycles. Then they adjusted their battery-powered motor to provide more control over speed and steering. In the end, they found the perfect combination of parts to make The ORB ready to roll. After about a month of tweaking and tuning, it was finally time for Little D to test out his new wheels.

“He loved it! When he gets excited, he’ll extend his legs, and in the video of his first ride, his legs are just straight out,” explained Dustin. Andy jokingly added, “If you stop, he lets you know you’re stopped too long.” Since then, the Ockerts and Little D have taken The ORB on walks, riding around the yard during family gatherings, and even to the hair salon.

While Dustin and Andy say they still need to make some modifications to make The ORB a little more travel-friendly, they feel like this first model is a success and they’re already thinking about The ORB 2.0.

“Little D’s got a cousin, Cameron, who is also wheelchair bound. So, we’ve actually already been collecting components and plan to start on ORB number two soon,” Dustin explained. “For this next one, we’re hoping to make it so it collapses and we can fit it in a car a little better.”

While the skills Andy and Dustin bring to work on a daily basis helped bring The ORB to life, their friendship may have been the most powerful tool of all, giving Little D and his family the freedom to explore, make memories, and go on adventures that felt nearly impossible before. “The amount of appreciation I have for Andy and his friends, my new friends, Kirk LeSarge, Chris Sprenger, and Steve Hunt—it’s been great,” Dustin said. “The commitment that the guys have put into this has been pretty amazing.”

Watch The ORB come to life! Andy documented their entire project from start to finish. Click here to watch their story!