Teen with rare disorder pays it forward, donates robot to Children’s Hospital

Pittsburgh - A robot helped a local teenager learn while he was going through some pretty tough times with his health.

It was Cristiano Colaluca’s way to go out into the real world and to school when he was too sick to leave the house.

“It’s helped me do things that I’ve never been able to do before,” Colaluca said.

The 17-year-old has a rare seizure disorder that forced him to miss school until he got V-Go, a robot that allowed him to participate in class at New Castle High School virtually, talk with friends and walk to hallways all while he was at home.

Now, Colaluca is paying it forward and giving his robot to Children’s Hospital so other kids can have the same opportunity.

“I thought V-Go and Children’s. It’s a match,” he said.

Instead of going on a vacation or meeting a celebrity, Colaluca is using his wish from the Make-A-Wish foundation to give V-Go to Children’s Hospital.

“He’s really giving a gift to the kids at the hospital instead of keeping the gift for himself,” said Dr. Steven Docimo, chief medical officer of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

The gift has been in the works for about a year, and Colaluca' mother says it’s something he has been looking forward to.

“He is just someone who is always concerned about everybody else,” said Terri Colaluca.

Colaluca says he hopes his donation will help brighten the days of patients who are unable to attend hospital events due to their illness.

“I don’t know. I just thought that since I had a V-Go, other kids would want one, too,” he said.

It doesn’t stop there. Colaluca says he wants to start a foundation to get V-Go’s for other kids.

Watch the VIDEO here.