18th January 2020
11-year-old Kye Vincent, a quadruple amputee from Leighton Buzzard, UK, was the first person in the world to receive an advanced 3D printed prosthetic arm with an official Star Wars R2-D2 design.
Kye contracted Meningococcal Septicaemia C when he was 8 years old. Doctors managed to save his life but he then caught an infection and they had to amputate both of Kye’s lower legs, his right hand, and part of his left hand. Kye immediately wanted to become a bionic boy, so the family started crowdfunding for a Hero Arm.
Kye’s mum, Cheryl Vincent, said: “Three years ago, Kye had Meningococcal Septicaemia – meningitis. It had spread in less than 24 hours, so they didn’t have much of a chance of saving his limbs. Kye said he wanted to be a bionic boy, so we started fundraising.” Seeing Kye with a hand again was very, very emotional. I was full of pride, I could burst. I was so happy for him. From a very young age, he’s always loved Star Wars. And to have it on a 3D printed prosthetic arm, it shows what he’s into.”
Joel Gibbard, co-founder and CEO of Open Bionics said: “We’re really grateful to Lucasfilm for allowing us to find inspiration from their incredible Star Wars characters which has helped us to empower children with limb differences. The R2-D2 covers for the Hero Arm are easy to take on and off, allowing children like Kye to accessorise their bionic arm to match their mood. The covers showcase that your uniqueness is your superpower and you shouldn’t feel like you have to hide your limb difference – instead you can show it off.”
Our myoelectric Hero Arm can be used by children from as young as eight-years old. To find out if your child could be eligible, register their information and we’ll be in touch to share more information about the Hero Arm.