Long Island five-year-old boy becomes youngest in the world to receive bionic ‘Ironman’ arm

A five-year-old boy from Long Island, New York, born without a left hand, has become the youngest in the world to receive a bionic Hero Arm, which makes him “feel like a superhero.”

Jordan Marotta’s mother Ashley said the Iron Man-style arm, colored in red and gold just like his favorite superhero, was an “instant confidence boost” for her son and he rushed back to his school to show it to his friends to show.

The custom-made, 3D-printed prosthesis is produced by Open Bionics, based in Bristol, England, which was founded in 2014 and launched four clinics in America last year.

Jordan is the youngest ever owner of one of the company’s Hero Arms.

The non-invasive prosthetic is shaped so that it can be attached and detached seamlessly from where his left arm ends.

The prosthetic, which takes about a month to make, 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 tend to be seven years or older, but the company said Jordan’s size for his age and his high IQ (which means it was easy to teach him how to use the Hero Arm) meant he was could get one sooner.

The previous youngest Hero Arm user was a six-year-old from Los Angeles.

Several English children have been awarded a Hero Arm at the age of seven – including Louie Morgan-Kemp from Swavesey, Cambridgeshire.

Jordan’s mother followed Open Bionics on Facebook and contacted the company when they opened a clinic in New York. They traveled from their home in Dix Hills to the Bionics office on Park Avenue.

The Hero Arm was paid for by the family’s health insurance.

A clinical psychologist, Marotta, 38, said she was “so grateful” to Open Bionics.

“Initially we were told he was too young and we convinced Open Bionics to see us and luckily he picked up on it straight away,” she said.

“As soon as we left with Jordan’s Hero Arm, he was running around with so much confidence hailing New York cabs.

‘It was an immediate confidence boost; the Hero Arm really makes him feel like a superhero and he is obsessed with superheroes.

‘He then wanted to quickly return to his school to show it to his teachers and friends.

“He was so happy and so excited, and so was everyone at his school.

“As a mother you just want your child to be happy, and he’s generally happy and resilient, but (after he got the Hero Arm) he was on top of the world and shining.

“He couldn’t have been happier or more excited and that remains true today. It is awesome.’

Jordan had previously used only one other prosthesis, but stopped using it due to its lack of functionality.

Since he got his Hero Arm this week, he can grab the handles of his scooter and go for a ride.

“He’s so excited to use it and to now be able to control the fingers and grab two objects,” says mother of three Marotta, who found out her son would be born without his hand while he was 20 weeks pregnant.

“We’re excited to see him get used to reaching and playing with his superhero toys with both hands.”

She said she and Jordan’s father, Josh, 42, who works in the family business, a dental laboratory, “were blessed and had the Hero Arm covered by our insurance.”

Jordan has been upset in recent months and understands that he is different.

‘Lately things have become a bit more emotional. Jordan really started to understand and know that he is different,” Marotta told the New York Post.

‘There were plenty of times when he would sit there and ask me, “Mommy, how come my hand isn’t growing?”

Daniel Green, the doctor who gave Jordan the Hero Arm and training 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 “very excited about his Hero Arm and couldn’t wait to show it to his friends.”

Open Bionics is a British company that supplies bionic hands and partial hand prostheses for amputees worldwide.

It describes itself as the only company in the world that makes multi-articulating hands small and light enough for children as young as Jordan.

It is also the only company in the world that can produce bionic arms from the Marvel, Star Wars and Disney films thanks to a long-standing partnership with The Walt Disney Company.

The company 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.”