Boy’s dream comes true as he is fitted with Iron Man themed bionic arm
A 10-year-old boy’s dream has come true just in time for Christmas after he was fitted with a bionic arm.
Harry Jones, of Leyland, Lancashire, who was born missing his right arm below his elbow, had always dreamed of having a robot arm so he could enjoy two-handed activities with his friends such as riding a bike and karting.
This week his ambition was realised after he was fitted with his Iron Man-themed “Hero Arm” which was created by Open Bionics and can mimic real hand movements.
The arm has a freeze mode which allows him to grip onto things and means he will be able to pull a Christmas cracker for the first time.
Harry is one of the first non-military veterans in the UK to be fitted with a life-changing bionic arm through the NHS. The health service made them available to civilians last year.
His grandmother Susan Higham said he was “beaming” after having it fitted, and “he couldn’t wait to show everybody”.
She added: “It’s amazing that this technology is now available to all who need it.”
Harry had tried other prosthetic solutions in the past but found they never quite suited him. He said: “I’ve had one arm with a strap around the shoulder, but when riding my bike. I had to really lean forward which was uncomfortable.
“And another prosthetic arm, all it did was barely open and close which I don’t use.”
“With the Hero Arm, I can do so many things. I also love the design. It has a freeze mode, which means when I grip things it locks so I don’t drop them.”
In November last year, bionic arms which can mimic real hand movements were made available to all amputees.
The implants are controlled by electrical brain signals and have multi-grip capabilities, with give users the ability to carry out movements that make day-to-day tasks easier.
The NHS has made the life-changing technology available to every patient across England who needs it.
Under a new policy, people who have been using Hero Arms for 12 months are eligible for an NHS trial of the technology and if they pass the trial, they are then able to keep the arm for life.
Samantha Payne, co-founder of Open Bionics, said: “Our community has been lobbying for the NHS to update its policy for nearly a decade, so to see Harry being the first civilian to be fitted with a Hero Arm under the NHS is monumental.”
