Outside Article Binghamton University students design device to assist veteran with PTSD

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Bu students(WBNG)
By Emmanuella Justine Pierre
Published: May. 17, 2022 at 9:00 PM EDT

(WBNG) -- A team of Binghamton University engineering students has made a difference in one veterans life by building her a special light to help with her PTSD.
The students told 12 News for their capstone they had to create a project that would help solve real life problems.

"For our senior design project we built a service dog operated light for a veteran," said Eric Fillingham, a Biomedical Engineering Student. "Basically, its just a light that her dog can turn on if she gets PTSD nightmares and she wanted something that would softly wake her up, kind of ease her into her day and get her out of that disturbed state."

He said there were 12 projects they had to choose from but since they have connections to veterans in their personal lives it was meaningful to be able to help out. Fillingham added , the students decided to build a light-control device for the veterans service dog could operate. The dog would use its nose to turn the light on when sensing its owner is having a PTSD-induced dream and they made sure they gave the light different setting to help ease her out of her nightmare.

"Instead of a white bright light I got different colors they have a blue a purple or a soft white light those were great options that the students were able to put in for me," said Catherine Abramshe, a veteran.

Ambramshe said the many light settings have very helpful and her dog has been able to adjust easily.

"I think with having the night light come on its a soft light and its very helpful and one of thee things that my dog does after the nightmare interruptions is I tell him to push and the light turns on its gentle it allows me to perform anything else," said Abramshe.

The students tell 12 News they are glad to make a positive difference in someones life.

Binghamton University students design device to assist veteran with PTSD

A team of Binghamton University engineering students has made a difference in one veterans life by building her a special light to help with her PTSD.

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