When Innovation Meets Possibility

Every act of patient handling carries more than physical weight — it carries trust, dignity, and possibility. Silvalea, a division of Savaria Patient Care, is advancing this essential part of care through innovation built for real human needs.

The story of conjoined twins Marieme and Ndeye perfectly illustrates how Silvalea’s commitment to this shines through. It’s not every day that a unique mobility challenge presents itself, and not every company has the expertise, problem-solving skills, and knowledge to rise to the occasion and make a life-changing difference for patients in need but Silvalea did and in doing so, made history.

A Father’s Dream

In November of 2023, Debbie Palfrey, Moving and Handling Trainer for the Cardiff Council in Cardiff, Wales, approached Silvalea with a once-in-a-lifetime challenge.

Marieme and Ndeye Ndiage, age 6, were living in Cardiff at the time with their family and attending a local school. Born in Senegal, they arrived in the UK in 2017 as babies to receive specialist treatment at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London.

The twins are conjoined at the chest and share several internal organs. While each has their own heart, brain, lungs and spine, they share a liver, bladder and digestive system, and together have three kidneys. They also share one pair of legs and have a distinctive third arm positioned behind them.

At first, their chances of survival were thought to be very slim. But with the outstanding care and treatment they received at GOSH, the twins have thrived.

One achievement remained elusive for the pair: being able to move around independently in a naturally upright position. Their father had long dreamed of them finding a product that could support their unique anatomy, but nothing like it existed.

An Enthusiastic Collaboration

It was at the Occupational Therapy Show that Debbie Palfrey found the Silvalea team. She inquired whether we could create a customised walking harness — something many other manufacturers lacked the expertise to take on. The request was passed to the technical team for consideration. In February 2025, after some conversations and a video consultation, team members Julie Robertson and Amanda Jenkins visited the twins and their multidisciplinary team at school in Cardiff.

Debbie Palfrey shared:

“They have been amazing since the outset… we initially met online so Amanda and Julie could meet the girls, they then came to Cardiff to meet the girls and took measurements.”

Refusing to Accept Limitations Where Possibility Exists

Designing an effective sling for the girls would require collaboration, a time investment and bespoke product innovation. The initial concepts required measurements, assessment of the girls’ unique positioning needs and close collaboration with the Cardiff team.

Silvalea’s Design Team, comprised of Julie Robertson, Amanda Jenkins and Lyn Chapman, combining their expertise and developed two potential concepts for consideration and testing. They also identified the need for a compatible hoist that would ensure the sling’s lifting tapes would be directed away from the girls’ faces.

Ultimately, the final product would need to provide wide lateral stability, underarm support, and balance and positioning for standing activities.

For their part, the twins’ school sourced the new four-point hoist system for safer, more open positioning during lifting with the two new protype slings being created by Silvalea.

Design 1: Modified Thoracic Support

The first concept combined two harness styles, as the combination was chosen for its potential to provide wide lateral stability, underarm support and improved balance and positioning during standing.

Design 2: Bespoke Walking Harness

The second concept focused more directly on supported standing along with movement by creating a custom walking harness. The twins’ unique dimensions, posture and support requirements were all taken into consideration as part of the bespoke design.

View the full case study here.

Achieving Freedom and Confidence, Together

Later that year, Julie and Amanda returned to Cardiff and greeted two excited girls for a first-time standing trial. The effort included their entire care team, including personal assistants, occupational and physical therapists and seating specialists.

For the very first time, the girls were able to stand upright. Of the two protypes, one was more successful, so additional measurements and planning were performed on-site to take back to the company for further refinement.

Following adjustments, the revised harness was returned to the team in Cardiff and to Marieme and Ndeye. Julie and Amanda were able to observe during a virtual follow-up call how much the girls enjoy the experience of standing and moving. For them, the harness represents far more than a moving and handling solution. It represents freedom, confidence, and the ability to participate more fully in the same experiences as their peers.

Their father described the achievement with the words:

“You are making history…”

He later shared:

“On behalf of my entire family, I wanted to express my gratitude to you… this has already made a big change in their lives. The prospect of being able to stand, walk and get in and around with their friends will contribute greatly to their self-worth. I can already feel how proud they are to have this support. Thank you so much for the immense efforts you’ve put into this project.”

Proud in Pink

In the months following initial adjustments, Silvalea invested additional time and effort into a few more refinements which were added to the harness design. This included reducing the groin area and adding extra padding. It also meant a special personalisation, as Debbie Palfrey explained: “The sling has now been made in pink as asked for by the girls and they proudly use the sling to walk in their school hall. They love showing their friends how well they are doing, and their peers are equally delighted for them.”

We are proud to have played a role in a project that reflects the very best of patient-centered innovation. The success of this collaboration is a testament to what can be achieved when healthcare professionals, families, and product specialists work together with determination, creativity and a shared vision. It’s also a powerful reminder of why we do what we do: creating solutions that help people reach their potential, with greater safety, dignity and confidence.

For the Silvalea team, this was about far more than developing a tailor-made harness; it was about helping two remarkable young girls experience new opportunities, increased confidence, greater independence and inclusion. Most importantly, the success of this journey belongs to Marieme and Ndeye, whose courage, positivity and determination inspired everyone involved, and has helped turn their father’s dream into a reality.