Students create Halloween costumes for children in LauraLynn

STUDENTS from TU Dublin Tallaght helped create and design Halloween costumes for children cared for by the LauraLynn Foundation with charity 3D assist.

The costumes were made by the students and charity, 3D assist, which is based on the Tallaght campus. Since 2005, the charity has 3D printed over 60 hands and arms for children with limb difference as well as 3D printing braille-based devices for organisations.

The event took place on October 20 and was organised by Robbie O’Connor from the School of Engineering with the help of students and staff volunteers from the college and industrial volunteers from project management group, Platinum Paper Ltd, Radionics, Antalis, P and D visual and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals.

Speaking to The Echo on the day of the event, organiser Robbie O’Connor said: “We had a great couple of weeks, meeting the fabulous children and their parents in Laura-Lynn.

“Our students have been brilliant and gone way beyond to make sure that they have the best Halloween costumes that they can make.

“[This week we will]  finish off the costumes and we hope the kids have a great Halloween.”

Adam O’Reilly and Zahra Sura

Speaking about how the idea for the children’s Halloween costumes came about, advertising and marketing communications student at the college, Jane Butler, said they were designed around the children’s wishes.

“The engineering students met with the Laura Lynn children and their families and had a chat with them and asked them what they wanted to dress up as for Halloween,” she explained.

“Each one is different and had different requests.

“For example, some children have different sized wheelchairs so they had to take the measurements and see how the costume would work around it without disrupting the actual function of the wheelchair.”

Benjamin with his finished costume

Students from the bio-med engineering course who took part in the event said that the experience making the costumes was an eye-opening one.

“Fantastic, they were so happy to see us, I have worked with families like this before and it’s a huge thing to see anyone in the community getting involved,” said one student, Callum Coffey.

Other students that participated, including Ciara Cassidy said: “It was amazing and tough but so rewarding for all of us” and Benjamin Joss Mercado also described the event as being “Very down to earth, very eye opening”.

Jane Butler, Kelsey Hand and Laura McKilkenny

The event was a huge success, with each costume fulfilling a child from the Laura Lynn Foundation’s wishes for Halloween.

“The costumes were sent out to the kids as soon as they were done so that they would have them for school and Halloween night as well,” said Jane.

“It was lovely speaking to the engineering students and one of them even said it reminded him exactly why he is doing this course. It was great learning more about the Laura Lynn Foundation also.”