 Wainsville, North Carolina looks like a lot of American small towns right down to this Saturday morning scene at the Roper house on Chestnut Park Lane Actually, there's something very special going on here. This is D. Roper and his son Stevie Stevie was born nine years ago with a very rare physical condition Lacking sweat glands his body has no natural way to cool itself Until recently too much physical activity or even limited activity on hot days could have been tragic for him But thanks to the concerned efforts of a diverse group of people Stevie now has a way to beat the heat a liquid cooled outfit based on NASA technology This small pump and heat exchanger cools and recycles fluid through a vest and hat a system similar to that used in astronaut spaces Stevie can wear the outfit while exercising if it's convenient or simply put it on intermittent late to cool down It's made a tremendous difference in his life and came about because of Stevie's aunt Tootsie Moody one day last summer her daughter had Stevie in the car when he began to suffer from the heat She pulled over to the side of the road saw a lady that was watering her garden took the water hose out of the Lady's hand squirted his body down cooled his temperature now got him home called me and said mom I've never been so scared in all my life Well, right then is when I decided that something needed to be done Stevie's aunt called NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia And was put in touch with John Samos and Thayer sheets in the technology utilization office They recalled an article in a NASA spin-off publication about liquid cooled garments being used by firefighters Pilots and race car drivers Thanks to the cooperation of the company making the outfits and a fundraising effort by a restaurant chain and Norfolk nightclub owner Stevie got his suit. It's met newfound freedom and peace of mind not only for him, but for his whole family Stevie's performance in Sue smarts fourth grade class at Central Elementary has also improved Before the cool suit he was constantly getting drinks or applying cold towels This made it difficult for him to concentrate and get his assignments done Now if he gets too hot he simply dons the suit and continues working But probably the most significant factor is that he's in school more often because the suit has reduced his susceptibility to respiratory ailments like bronchitis or pneumonia as result his grades are coming up and He is definitely doing better The effort with Stevie has been so successful that his aunt is now heading a national foundation Its goal is to do the same for the other 400 children in this country with steve's condition Bring space technology down to earth