Felisha’s biomed project is a Pain Adverting Device (P.A.D.) to lessen the pain of arthritis medication injections.
Felisha Fox
The definition of fabulous: almost impossible to believe; incredible. Senior Felisha Fox encompasses this definition to the fullest extent through athletics, academics, and extracurriculars. She may be short in stature, but her personality and aspirations excel far beyond her size.
Felisha started BSM seventh grade shy and curious. “I didn’t know what I wanted to get out of BSM; I was here to learn and enjoy the journey,” Felisha said.
She ran track and cross country, eventually making her way onto the varsity team by her junior year and serving as the track captain her senior year. She has also been involved in National Honor Society, National Language Honor Society, Link Crew, and Red Knight Volunteer Corps. “As long as I have known Felisha, she has been involved in just about everything,” senior Kylie Nevells said.
Felisha is the perfect example of a student athlete, maintaining a high GPA whilst participating in competitive sports and a variety of clubs. “I would like to be remembered at BSM as being hard-working and kind to everyone,” Felisha said.
Perhaps the most incredible thing about Felisha is her work ethic. As many of her peers know, Felisha has invented a device, known as P.A.D, short for Pain Adverting Device, to make the sensation of getting an injection bearable. She developed this for children, specifically those who have rheumatoid arthritis and have to get shots on a weekly or monthly basis. Felisha’s device works by using vibration technology to confuse the nerve cells around the injection site while working in tandem with anesthetics to numb the area. The device also hides the injection pen to reduce the anxiety of the child. Felisha has a pending patent on her device and has been working with manufacturers, lawyers, and investors at just 18 years old.
Currently, Felisha works with a business attorney and other companies to help her develop her device. “She is one of those people that dedicates herself and will achieve anything she puts her mind to,” Nevells said.
Next year, Felisha will be attending the University of Denver with a projected major in biology and a minor in business. She hopes that the curriculum will set her up well for her future in health care as well as continuing the development of her P.A.D.
Felisha will be in close contact with her lawyers and investors to ensure her company continues to flourish here in Minnesota. She will be presenting to investors to hopefully get a proper investment to proceed with the creation of her device at an engineering firm this summer along with continuing her quest for FDA approvals. “I am so proud of Felisha. Her hard work and passion for everything she does is inspiring and I can’t wait to see what she can do and where she will go,” Nevells said.