Everyday Inspiration - Jacquie Robison

I believe we all have the power to use our creativity to solve problems, innovate and inspire others. Here's a story about how Jacquie Robison used hers.

I met Jacquie Robison when we were bridesmaids at a wedding in 2009.

We knew the bride through different social circles, but connected on Facebook after the wedding (as people did back in 2009). Jacquie lives in San Francisco and I live in London, and our paths haven’t physically crossed since then. But one day, I noticed something she had posted while I was scrolling through social media. 

It was a picture of her young daughter, Sofia, smiling. She was holding herself up in a walker. 

I came to learn that Sofia was born premature – at just 28 weeks – and spent a couple of months in the newborn intensive care unit.

Then, when Sofia was 18 months old, Jacquie and her husband were told their daughter had Cerebral Palsy. 

“There were a lot of tears,” Jacquie recounted. “A lot of fear and uncertainty, and definitely a lot of beating myself up over not doing something earlier.” 

They were also told what this diagnosis could mean – that Sofia might not walk or talk, and that her cognitive skills may be impacted. 

But Sofia was already identifying objects and saying words. Jacquie dug into learning more about Cerebral Palsy (CP), and as she read, she learned that most of what she thought she knew was wrong. 

She came to understand that when you’ve met one child with CP, you’ve only met one child with CP.

CP is non-progressive, and when Jacquie learned that she realized, “This is Sofia’s floor – but no one can tell us where her ceiling will be.”

That simple mindset shift made a big difference, and allowed Jacquie to see all the things Sofia could do – and what might be possible. 

Creative Problem Solving

Jacquie recognized that while she wasn’t a physical therapist or an expert on CP, she did have a unique perspective that was valuable. 

“I’m an expert on being Sofia’s mom,” she said. 

Sofia’s therapy team stressed the importance of developing her motor skills outside of the weekly therapy sessions. 

This encouraged Jacquie to get creative.

Sofia liked flowers, so Jacquie bought popsicle sticks and had her daughter help make ‘flowers’ that were planted throughout one floor of the house. 

“Sofia would go around the room and ‘pick’ the flowers,” she said.

Learning to walk

The next goal was to help Sofia learn to walk independently. Sofia had been prescribed a walker, but the picturesque, rolling hills of San Francisco posed a challenge for practicing to step. 

Jacquie and Sofia would visit Crissy Field which offered a nice, flat area more suitable for walking. 

Sofia would put her tiny hands on the walker and practice taking steps alongside her mom. One day, Sofia commented that people were staring at her, and asked why. 

Jacquie explained that they probably hadn’t seen a walker before and were just curious. 

“But when I look at them,” Sofia said, “they look away.”

Jacquie tried to reassure her daughter, telling her that other people probably just didn’t know what to say. 

Sofia responded: “They could say hi.”

Learning to sew

Jacquie thought about this exchange for a few days. She knew that motivating her daughter to practice stepping was critical for ongoing development, but she also wanted to find a way to encourage other people to look beyond the device and see her daughter. 

“Walkers haven’t really changed,” Jacquie told me. “They’re functional but there’s no design factor. Sofia loved ballet, and was taking lessons at Tutu School. I had the beginnings of an idea to incorporate her interests and express them with her walker.”

Again, Jacquie got creative. 

She decided to sew a cape as a ‘canvas’ and cover the walker’s plain metal frame with something more colorful and fun. 

There was just one problem. 

“I could hardly sew a button on a shirt!”

Jacquie bought a sewing machine, grabbed an old set of sheets, and signed up for sewing lessons. She created a rough pattern and made a walker cape for Sofia, complete with a sewn on leotard and tutu.

The next time they went to the park to practice walking, Sofia got a lot of looks. 

But this time, people approached her. They were curious and engaged with her in conversation. 

“They asked her if she liked ballet, and when she replied, ‘I’m a ballerina,’ it challenged their perception of what was possible for a child with a physical difference.”

With her first creation complete, Jacquie used her newfound sewing skills to design other styles for her daughter’s walker. 

“Successorizing,” as she put it. 

A parent from Chicago stopped Jacquie on the street and asked where she got the cape. 

Jacquie explained that she had made it. The stranger shared that they also had a child in their family with a neuromuscular delay who they were worried about taking out because they ‘didn’t want people to stare.’

“I understand why people feel that way,” Jacquie said. “But the problem is that the message the child receives is, ‘There’s not a spot in the world for you.’”

The conversation continued, and the stranger shared that their child loved anything to do with firetrucks. 

So Jacquie created a custom fire chief’s cape and mailed it off. 

She received a beautiful note from the child’s mother, along with a picture of a smiling boy testing out his new cape. 

Finding purpose

It was then that Jacquie told her husband, “I think this is what I’m supposed to do.”

“We sat down and talked about it, and said, ‘If we sell 100 of these, as a business, it fails.’

“But if we make 100 of these and give them away, then we’ve touched 100 people’s lives.”

So Jacquie created WAWOS, which stands for “We’re All Working On Something.” She began by sewing capes on her own, and gradually recruited volunteers to create walker capes. Together, they sent 300 capes out into the world in 2018.

And last year, Jacquie and the WAWOS volunteers created nearly 1000 capes – with themes ranging from Avengers and Paw Patrol to a variety of sports teams. 

“Kids just want to show their interests,” she said. “It’s incredible to see the photos and read the notes we get.”

“If it encourages parents and their kids to explore the world and let their light shine, it’s a success.”

Jacquie hopes her story will help people see what is possible for children like hers – and encourage them to look beyond a diagnosis or a difference. 

“CP is the least interesting thing about Sofia,” she said. “It’s a footnote to who she is.”

Jacquie hopes to raise awareness and advocate for inclusion and accessibility. 

“Nothing gets solved if we don’t talk about it.This is an issue, and it deserves attention.

“It’s not only about these kids having a seat at the table, it’s about them being dealt in to the game and invited to play.”

WAWOS Wishes

In addition to the walker capes, Jacquie has introduced WAWOS Wishes, which offers financial gifts to US-based nonprofits that provide recreational opportunities for kids with neurodelays. 

“Access to adventure builds confidence and creates friendships. There are amazing programs offering adaptive ski and surfing, as well as horseback riding and all sorts of experiences for kids with differences,” Jacquie said. 

“We wanted to find a way to support the work these nonprofits are doing so more families can have access, without creating a financial burden.” 

Last year, the WAWOS board awarded a total of $50,000 in directed gifts to 20 nonprofits across the United States.

As she looks to the future, Jacquie is excited about the impact their nonprofit is having. 

“WAWOS is not just about walker capes. It’s about creating conversations, connections – and community.”

“As a parent, I want to build a world where I’m encouraged to believe in my daughter in the same way others believe in theirs. I want her – and other kids with differences and delays – to have the opportunity to try, and to know there is a place for all of us.” 

WAWOS is a registered 501(c) (3) corporation, and is an all-volunteer organization. All donations support their programs. Visit the WAWOS website for more information on how you can donate, volunteer and support their mission. 

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Beth Collier helps people improve their creativity and communication skills so they can innovate, connect, and inspire others. She also loves hearing (and sharing!) stories about inspirational creative people around us.

Do you know someone who has used creativity to solve a problem? Contact Beth and share their story!