A seven-year-old girl can finally brush her own hair after becoming the youngest in the UK to be fitted with a bionic ‘hero’ arm.
Caitlin Hutson was born with only one fully formed hand due to rare congenital condition.
Her underdeveloped left arm has five shortened fingers at the end but no bones.
Throughout her early childhood Caitlin struggled to hold cutlery and hold a dinner tray at school.
Her mum, Maria Hutson, 42, said that up until this year, Caitlin has soldiered on with a smile on her face – but a recent community fundraising effort has changed her life.
Caitlin,7, is already relishing her new found capabilities from eating ice-cream to high-fiving her friends when she gets back to school
She had a £18,000 for a bionic arm fitted last week, and Maria said her daughter is already bursting with new-found confidence.
Caitlin is already relishing her newfound capabilities like eating ice-cream and is eagerly anticipating being able to high-five her friends.
Maria, from Wymondham, Norfolk, said: ‘In the space of 24 hours her confidence has increased so much.
‘Caitlin is strutting around the garden and dancing with it on – as a parent it’s lovely to see. We’re so grateful for everyone who made this dream a reality.’
In 2016, Caitlin was born with only one fully formed hand due to rare congenital condition. Her underdeveloped left arm has five shortened fingers at the end but no bones, making basic tasks incredibly difficult for the youngster
Caitlin was born with an exceptionally rare condition called symbrachydactyly which affects just one in 32,000 births.
The congenital hand disorder usually causes short fingers that are sometimes webbed and fused.
In the most severe cases all the fingers can be missing and replaced by little ‘nubbins’ of skin, according to children’s charity Reach.
This has made it hard for Caitlin to do everyday tasks like brush her hair.
But Maria, alongside Caitlin’s father Terry, 45, found a high-tech, but very expensive, solution – a bionic arm.
They joined a waiting list for a bionic ‘hero’ arm for Caitlin, and in December last year were invited up to Open Bionics in Bristol for an appointment.
Caitlin Hutson is pictured with her parents Maria, 42, and Terry, 45, and her brother Benjamin, 5, at home in Norfolk
The company creates low-cost 3D printed bionic arms for amputees that is fully functional, allows people to grab, pinch and high-five.
Maria, a swimming teacher, said: ‘Last year, we put her name down and to our surprise things moved pretty quickly.
But a bionic ‘hero’ arm costs more than £13,000 and even more to fit it, so Caitlin’s parents started a GoFundMe.
Maria added: ‘This year, we’ve held numerous cake sales and a superhero day at Caitlin’s school, and businesses and individuals have shown their support.
‘We’ve been totally overwhelmed by people’s generosity and kindness.’
In total Caitlin’s family raised £18.5k which was enough for the bionic ‘hero’ arm to be fitted with an extended warranty
The bionic ‘hero’ arm is fully functional, it allows people to grab, pinch and high-five. Caitlin can even brush her har with it
In total, Caitlin’s family raised £18.5k which was enough for the arm to be fitted with an extended warranty.
This means it can be replaced as she continues to grow, as the arm is covered for the next five years.
Since the fitting Caitlin has quickly got used to the feeling of the technology and is loving life with her new ‘hero arm’.
Caitlin said: ‘Life is good with my new arm. Eating is easy and I love being able to brush my hair.
‘I’m excited to go back to school, I think I’ll be getting a lot of high fives from my friends.’
Maria said they are extremely proud of Caitlin and said she sets an example for how disabilities don’t hold people back.
‘Small things which people like you and I never even think about are a massive deal to her,’ she said.
‘For the first time she can use cutlery without struggling and brush her hair like any other seven-year-old girl.
‘Watching her eat an ice cream is a joy because up until now she’s always made a right mess.
‘It’s given her the independence she needs for later life which in turn has done her confidence the world of good.
‘It will also show others disabilities don’t always have to hold you back, and she can do everything everyone else can and more.
Bionic arms are normally only available for children aged eight and above, but Caitlin was eligible for her first hand at age six.
Seven-year-old Louie Morgan-Kemp, of Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, was also recently fitted with a Ironman-themed ‘hero’ arm.
Sammy Payne, co-founder of Open Bionics, said: ‘Caitlin will be our youngest user to date.
‘Children use their Hero Arms to ride their bikes, make breakfast, carry their bags to school, and generally perform two-handed tasks.
‘Children love the Hero Arm because they can swap its covers and change what their bionic arm looks like.
‘One day they can wear their favourite colour, the next day they can swap it out and be Iron Man. Their bionic arm is completely unique, just like them.’
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