Questão de Língua Inglesa

Execução: Fundatec 1105_CE_39_NS_DM 21/08/2026 12:48:27 Ada teen turns 3D printing business into earthquake relief effort for Venezuela By Cassandra Alonso 01 Nearly 1,500 people are dead, and thousands more are injured as of Monday after twin 02 earthquakes struck Venezuela. While recovery efforts are underway, one teenager from Ada 03 Township, Michigan, is using his eight 3D printers to help from thousands of miles away. Brady 04 Ashcroft, 16, has turned his 3D printing business into a medical supply operation, creating 05 lightweight splints for earthquake victims in Venezuela. 06 What began as a hobby with one printer nearly two years ago has grown into eight 07 machines that typically produce fidget toys and custom keychains for his online store. But 08 after seeing the devastation from the earthquakes on Reddit and Discord groups from the 3D 09 printing community, those printers took on a different purpose. “They don't deserve this in 10 Venezuela, and they should get all the help they can get. And I want to have more to do with 11 my 3D printer, instead of just making toys,” Ashcroft said. “I want it to be more helpful than 12 just making money.” 13 The designs for the medical splints came from a 3D printing company in Venezuela, 14 which shared files online as hospitals faced an increasing need for orthopedic supplies. Brady 15 is now part of a global network of volunteers using their printers to help coordinate through 16 social media platforms. “We made 100 now, and it depends on how much we're going to make 17 until we feel like we need to send them out, because there's not much time left,” he said, 18 noting that splints won't be useful after a few days. 19 The teenager has paused customer orders to focus on the medical kits, printing, 20 sorting, and packaging each splint before shipping them to a collection center in Miami, Florida. 21 From there, they'll reach doctors in Venezuela. Each package includes instructions and a toy 22 from Brady's collection. His mother, Lori Ashcroft, said she's not surprised by her son's 23 willingness to help. Brady has previously donated items to Toys for Tots, printing octopuses 24 from approved files, and given a percentage of his sales to the Humane Society. The family 25 has turned the effort into a team operation, with Brady's parents helping with printing 26 overnight and his sister managing social media for their business. 27 Each splint takes about an hour and a half to print. The material softens in warm water, 28 allowing the splint to mold to a patient's arm before firming back up. “It doesn't cost us much 29 to do it. It's printing time on the printers, which he's got the capacity,” Lori Ashcroft said. 30 “Makes me feel really good that I could play a part in this, and the 3D printing community has 31 come together to help the people in Venezuela,” Brady Ashcroft said. 32 The teenager said this won't be the last time he uses his 3D printers to help others. He 33 plans to monitor social media groups for future disasters where his equipment could make a 34 difference. “Whatever comes up, anything that comes up, if I find any more subreddits and 35 Discords that need help, I'll definitely start printing more stuff, because I have eight 3D printers, 36 and I can print anything,” he said. (Available at: https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/east-grand-rapids-forest-hills-cascade/ada-teenturns-3d-printing-business-into-earthquake-relief-effort-for-venezuela — text specially adapted for this test).