Paralyzed Newaygo man invents 3D-printed ‘urine deflector’ while recovering

In May a Newaygo man fell off a ladder leaving him paralyzed from the waist down and sending him to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation. Now he is using ingenuity to "print" his own recovery.

Josh Symon and Riley McCartney are using the hospital’s 3D printer to make Josh’s creation.

It’s a device to help paralyzed patients use the bathroom easier. It’s called a urine deflector, and they are making it on Mary Free Bed’s 3D printer.

Riley McCartney a Mary Free Bed Occupational Therapist, says, “Josh has been able to kind of refine it and make it more user friendly.”

“As soon as I fell, the wife was in the garage and I said, "I can't feel my legs,” said Josh.

Last spring, He was working on his gutters when his ladder fell, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

“There is panic; there is shock,” said Josh.

His injury ended up with him rehabilitating at Mary Free Bed. While there, he realized the hospital had a 3D printer and had an idea to solve a problem he was having.

Josh says, “When you're immobilized like I am, you have to get onto a commode chair, which is elevated from a standard toilet. That gap allows for things to sneak out.”

Josh has 20 years of engineering experience and works with the same 3D-printing software that the hospital uses. He says, “So I was able to hook up with Riley and design and 3D print this device that completely took care of the issue I was having.”

Josh’s invention is not only helping him but the hospital will be able to make more to help others.

Riley says, “Now that we have what he created ... and we can kind of fine-tune it and make it our own or adapt that to other people, too. So, he really laid the groundwork for us.”

Josh says it’s the best feeling in the world knowing that what he created will be able to help others in his situation. “To give back and help other people ... like, everybody here has been so great to me to be able to help other people here and in similar situations makes my little Grinch heart grow,” he says.

Josh is scheduled to leave Mary Free Bed Friday and will continue his rehab as an outpatient, with the ultimate goal to be able to golf again.

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