14-Year-Old New Orleans Native Naya Ellis Created A New Invention, Called “Wingitt” A Watch That Measures Heartbeat And Nerve Impulses To Pick Up Early Signs Of A Stroke

From a young age, Naya Ellis has had a deep passion for science and a strong desire to make a difference in the medical field. She remembers caring for her mother at a young age, assisting with changing her bandages while she fought against breast cancer. Now, the ninth-grader has expertly combined her passion for science with her compassionate drive to help others by creating a watch that can detect signs of a stroke in adults. Last month, she was recognized as a champion in the National STEM Challenge for her groundbreaking invention.

Naya, a freshman at John F. Kennedy High School in New Orleans, was motivated to develop the watch through a program called STEM NOLA, where K-12 students engage in practical science, technology, engineering, and math projects. The organization provides an eight-month STEM fellowship to high school students from low-income backgrounds and underrepresented communities. This fellowship offers valuable training, career guidance, and networking opportunities to students who are passionate about solving real-world problems.

She enrolled in the fellowship to stay occupied. Unbeknownst to her, the program would open up a world of opportunities.

The organization also offers STEM Saturday, a weekend program where K-12 students can create inventions. When Naya attended her first STEM Saturday in October, she was inspired to design a watch that detects seizures. However, on the following weekend, which happened to be the final weekend for her project, she made a complete change of plans. She decided to create a watch specifically designed for stroke detection, inspired by her grandmother’s personal experience with a stroke. She named her invention WingItt, a suitable name for an idea that came together at the eleventh hour.

The watch operates by detecting nerve impulses and heartbeats with precision. Naya wanted to develop a solution that can detect internal symptoms in stroke victims, going beyond the more obvious signs like a droopy face or strange taste in the mouth. Through her research, she discovered that strokes were more prevalent among individuals aged 55 and above compared to younger individuals. With this in mind, she aimed to tailor her approach to cater to this specific demographic. As she fine-tunes her prototype, she aims to ensure its precise detection of strokes without any interference from other heart-related issues.

Naya is committed to ensuring that her watch remains accessible to older adults who may not have the financial means to invest in high-end technology such as iPhones and Apple Watches, which offer health-monitoring capabilities.

“I want to do something I’m interested in, that will also change the world,” she says.