Young Innovator • Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Meet the 12-Year-Old Behind TapTap Buddy
After witnessing a frightening medical emergency, local student Ishika Talreja turned one sleepless night and one very important question into a child safety tool built by a kid, for kids.
I’d like to introduce you to a member of our village: 12-year-old Mechanicsburg resident Ishika Talreja.
Ishika was just 11 when she witnessed a frightening moment at home. Her brother’s friend had a seizure, his mother was 20 minutes away, and the people with him did not know whether he took medication or how to answer the questions being asked by emergency responders.
Long after the immediate emergency had passed, Ishika could not stop thinking about it.
What if he had been alone? What if a child needed help but could not tell an adult whom to call?
A Question That Wouldn’t Let Her Sleep
That night, Ishika began researching child safety tools. She thought about children who become lost, injured, overwhelmed, or unable to communicate. She thought about the important information another adult might need: emergency contacts, allergies, medications, medical needs, and care instructions.
Eventually, her research led her to NFC technology. Then she did something pretty extraordinary: she began building a solution of her own.
A Big Idea in One Little Tap
The result is TapTap Buddy, a child safety wristband or keychain tag that uses near-field communication, commonly called NFC, to make parent-selected emergency information available with a tap from a compatible smartphone.
A parent creates and controls the child’s profile and chooses which details to include. Depending on the family’s needs, that may include:
If a child becomes separated from a caregiver or needs help, someone nearby can tap the tag with a modern NFC-compatible smartphone to view the information the parent has chosen to share.
How TapTap Buddy Works
- Create the profile: A parent enters the contact, medical, and care information they want available.
- Connect the tag: The profile is linked to the TapTap Buddy wristband or keychain.
- Tap when help is needed: A person with a compatible smartphone taps the tag to access the shared information.
There is no app for the helper to download, no battery inside the tag to charge, and no monthly subscription. According to TapTap Buddy, the tags do not use GPS or track a child’s location. Parents retain control over the information associated with the tag and can update it as needed.
Designed for Children Who May Not Be Able to Explain
Although any family could face an unexpected separation or emergency, I immediately thought about children who may not be able to clearly tell another adult their name, a parent’s phone number, an allergy, or what kind of help they need.
That might include a very young child, a nonspeaking child, a child who communicates differently, or one who becomes unable to speak during a frightening or overwhelming moment. It may also be helpful for children with epilepsy, severe allergies, diabetes, asthma, or other needs caregivers would want someone to know about quickly.
Families might consider a child safety tag for:
- Field trips and summer camps
- Theme parks, fairs, and festivals
- Airports and family travel
- School and extracurricular activities
- Busy community events and public places
- Everyday outings where separation could occur
An important distinction: TapTap Buddy is not a GPS tracker and does not prevent a child from becoming lost. It should not replace adult supervision, an established emergency plan, or professional medical identification. It is another way for a parent’s chosen information to travel with a child when that child may not be able to speak for themselves.
Built by a Kid Who Refused to Stop at “What If?”
I love young entrepreneurs, but Ishika’s story is about more than a child starting a business.
She saw a problem that frightened her. She asked questions, researched the tools that already existed, considered what children might need during a stressful moment, and used what she learned to build something new.
Her guiding ideas are wonderfully straightforward: keep the process simple, protect children’s privacy, give parents control, and do not require families to continue paying every month to keep using the product.
There is something especially powerful about a child looking at a problem affecting other children and saying, “I think I can help.”
That is exactly what Ishika did.
Meet TapTap Buddy
Learn more about the child safety tool created right here in our community and follow Ishika’s journey as a young innovator.
Visit TapTap Buddy Follow Ishika’s JourneyEditor’s note: Product features, privacy practices, and compatibility information were provided by TapTap Buddy and reviewed on its website. Families should independently evaluate whether any safety product is appropriate for their child. TapTap Buddy should not replace adult supervision, emergency planning, or professional medical identification.
