Heartwarming moment seven-year-old boy born with missing limb tries out his new Iron Man-themed bionic arm
A seven-year-old boy born without a right hand now beams with joy as he tries out his new ‘robotic arm’.
Louie Morgan-Kemp of Swavesey, Cambridgeshire, had just started fundraising for the prosthesis when a kind-hearted businessman saw his story in the news and offered to pay the full cost of £13,000.
The youngster collected the Ironman-themed Hero Arm this week and can move his mechanical fingers by using muscles in his arm to press buttons in the sleeve.
Louie said the gadget, made by Bristol-based Open Bionics, helps him pick things up, cut food and pour drinks.
He said it was “exciting” to get the arm and that he was “glad” that businessman Billy Dixon paid for it.
Louie Morgan-Kemp is now enjoying his new Ironman-themed prosthetic arm
The seven-year-old was born without an arm, but can now use the £13,000 prosthesis to perform a variety of everyday tasks
The 73-year-old from Egham, Surrey, saw a story about the family’s fundraising in the news this year and contacted Louie’s mother on Facebook with an offer to pay the full amount.
Mr Dixon said at the time: ‘I couldn’t bear to think of not doing it, it’s just in my nature to do that sort of thing.’
Louie’s mother, Hannah Morgan, 32, said she was grateful to Mr Dixon, adding: “We didn’t expect it to happen so soon.”
Louie used the arm to drink lemonade from a glass and hold a bag of chips, then used his left hand to eat them, as he set to work on Wednesday.
Teaching assistant Ms Morgan said summer break this year was ‘all about waiting for that – for the Hero Arm’.
The prosthesis, called the Hero Arm, was designed and manufactured in Great Britain
His mother Hannah Morgan said summer vacation this year was ‘all about waiting for that – for the Hero Arm’
Louie can move the mechanical fingers in the hand by using the muscles in his arm to press buttons in the sleeve
The family was raising money to pay for the arm, but kind-hearted businessman Billy Dixon offered to buy the arm directly for them.
“It’s all he talked about,” she said.
“People have been saying how cool it is.”
Earlier this year, she said Louie had been telling people he was getting a “robotic arm” and that he was “so excited.”
Open Bionics said the Hero Arm was designed and manufactured in Britain.
It describes it as “the world’s most affordable multi-grip prosthetic arm, with multi-grip functionality and powerful aesthetics.”