A young boy in Texas recently received a prosthetic hand made by a 3D printer. Keith Harris is five years old and from League City, Texas and was recently the beneficiary of work done by a volunteer group specializing in prosthetics for children with special medical needs. The hand was provided as part of the group's "3D Mechanical Hand: Maker Movement," that aims to provide chilren like Harris with devices that can help them perform routine tasks that would be otherwise very difficult, if not impossible for them.
"Keith was born with a condition called Symbrachydactyly, which basically means that in utero his hand did not fully form so it was a big shock to us," said Kimberly Harris, the boy's mother. Harris said that while for the most part Keith doesn't complain about is condition, his hand has still brought him unwanted attention and recognition for it.
He doesn't like when people stare at him, he doesn't like when people continue to ask about it," Harris stated. "So the past five years have been challenging in a sense that there is nothing we can do about it."
The group that provided the boy with the new hand is called e-NABLE, and it is made up of volunteers that used 3D printing technology to create it. The group was founded by a prop maker and a carpenter who worked together to make a prosthetic for a child in South Africa. The group has since grown to include people from all over the world who are using their backgrounds in engineering, therapy and design to help those in need of prosthesis.
"Keith is not eligible for a regular prosthetic device," Keith's mother explained. "It would cost us around $40,000, he would outgrow it, it is very stuffy, sweaty and uncomfortable. We are receiving the hand free-of-cost, but it costs them about $45 to $50 to make this hand."
Keith is reportedly the first Texan to receive a 3D printed prosthetic like this one, and has already been using it to play sports, shake hands and even ride his scooter.
A similar device was made by a father for his son. 12-year-old Leon McCarthy received the hand after his father made it after watching a YouTube video that demonstrated how to construct other 3D printed objects.
