When Rotem Elnatan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, his parents knew life would never be easy. As a toddler, he struggled to control his movements, and something as ordinary as standing or taking a single step seemed painfully out of reach. When he was just two years old, therapists told his mother that Rotem had little awareness of how to use his legs, a moment that left her devastated.

For Debby Elnatan, hearing those words felt like watching her son’s future disappear before her eyes. She cried for days, wondering if Rotem would ever experience what so many children take for granted—running through a park, walking beside his family, or simply exploring the world on his own two feet.

But after the tears came determination.

Debby refused to believe that her son should spend his childhood watching life from a wheelchair alone. Every child, she believed, deserved the chance to stand tall, to move, to laugh, and to discover the world from eye level with everyone else.

So she began trying something no one had suggested.

Day after day, she supported Rotem’s body with her own, patiently helping him experience the feeling of walking. It was exhausting. She bent over for hours, taking tiny steps with him, refusing to give up even when progress seemed almost impossible. Eventually, she began creating straps and supports that connected her body to his, allowing them to walk together. Little by little, Rotem grew stronger.

What started as one mother’s desperate attempt to help her son eventually became the Upsee, a mobility device that allows children with movement disabilities to stand and walk alongside a parent or caregiver. Today, the invention has brought hope to families around the world, helping countless children experience the joy of taking steps they never thought possible.

For Debby, however, the greatest achievement was never the invention itself.

It was seeing Rotem smile.

It was watching her little boy stand a little taller, move a little farther, and discover a world that once seemed beyond his reach. Every small step became a victory. Every moment spent walking together became a memory neither of them would ever forget.