A five-year-old boy from Long Island, New York, who was born without a left hand, has become the youngest in the world to receive a bionic hero arm, making him “feel like a superhero.”
Jordan Marotta’s mother Ashley said the Iron Man-style arm, colored red and gold like his favorite superhero, was an “instant confidence boost” for her son and she rushed back to his school to show it to his friends. friends.
The custom-made 3D-printed prosthesis is produced by Bristol, England-based Open Bionics, which was founded in 2014 and opened four clinics in the United States last year.
Jordan is the youngest owner of one of the firm’s Hero Arms.
Jordan Marotta, 5, was born without a left hand and has become the youngest in the world to have a bionic hero arm, which makes him “feel like a superhero.”
Jordan Marotta was eager to show his schoolmates his bionic arm, made in the colors of his favorite superhero, Iron Man.
The non-invasive prosthesis was molded to attach and detach seamlessly from where his left arm ends.
The prosthesis, which takes about a month to manufacture, runs on a 14-hour rechargeable battery and uses special sensors that detect muscle contractions and convert them into bionic hand movements.
Most children with Hero Arms are typically seven years old or older, but the firm said Jordan’s size for his age and high IQ (meaning it was easy to teach him how to use the Hero Arm) meant he could have one before.
The previous youngest Hero Arm user was a six-year-old boy from Los Angeles.
Several English children were given a hero’s arm at the age of seven, including Louie Morgan-Kemp, from Swavesey, Cambridgeshire.
Jordan can now grab his scooter with his new Hero Arm
At the age of five, Jordan has become the youngest person in the world to get a bionic Hero Arm.
Jordan’s mother followed Open Bionics on Facebook and contacted the company when they opened a clinic in New York. They traveled from her home in Dix Hills to the Bionics offices on Park Avenue.
The Hero Arm was paid for by the family’s health insurance policy.
Marotta, a 38-year-old clinical psychologist, said she was “very grateful” to Open Bionics.
“At first we were told he was too young and we convinced Open Bionics to look at us and luckily they realized right away,” he said.
‘As soon as we left with Jordan’s Hero Arm, he was running around very confidently trying to hail taxis in New York.
‘It was an instant confidence boost; Hero Arm really makes him feel like a superhero and he is obsessed with superheroes.
‘Then he wanted to run back to his school to show it to his teachers and friends.
‘He was very happy and excited, as was everyone at his school.
‘As a mother, all you want is for your child to be happy and overall he is happy and resilient, but (after receiving the Hero Arm) he was on top of the world and shining.
The prosthesis uses special sensors that detect muscle contractions and convert them into bionic hand movements.
Britain-based Open Bionics makes the Hero Arm, and Jordan received his at the company’s clinic in New York. The non-invasive prosthesis was molded to attach and detach seamlessly from where his left arm ends.
“I couldn’t have been happier or more excited and it’s still the same today.” It’s amazing.’
Jordan had only used a different prosthesis before, but stopped using it due to its lack of functionality.
Since getting his Hero Arm this week, he’s been able to grab the handles of his scooter and go for a ride.
“He’s very excited to use it and to be able to control his fingers and grab two objects now,” said Marotta, a mother of three, who found out her son would be born without his hand when she was 20 weeks pregnant.
“We’re excited to see him get used to reaching with two hands and playing with his superhero toys with both hands.”
Jordan is said to be “glowing” and “full of confidence” after receiving his new arm.
She said she and Jordan’s father, Josh, 42, who works in the family business, a dental laboratory, were “blessed and our insurance covered the Hero Arm.”
Jordan had been upset in recent months and understands that he is different.
“Recently, things have been a little more emotional, Jordan started to really understand and know that he’s different,” Marotta told the New York Post.
‘There were many times he would sit there and ask me, “Mommy, why isn’t my hand growing?”‘
Daniel Green, the doctor who delivered the Hero Arm and trained Jordan at Open Bionics in New York, said it was a “pleasure” to work with him and meet his family.
He said Jordan was “very smart”, had a “great personality” and was “really excited about his Hero Arm and couldn’t wait to show it to his friends.”
Open Bionics is a British company that provides bionic hands and partial hand prostheses globally for amputees.
It describes itself as the only company in the world that makes multi-jointed hands small and light enough for kids as young as Jordan.
It is also the only company in the world capable of producing bionic arms from Marvel, Star Wars and Disney films thanks to a long-term collaboration with The Walt Disney Company.
The firm has equipped amputees with Hero Arms in Ukraine, Germany and Australia.
Samantha Payne, co-founder of Open Bionics, said: “We are so happy for Jordan and can’t wait to see him put his new Iron Man arm to work.”
