Disney’s epic surprise for four Moana superfans
27th November 2024
27th November 2024
This Thanksgiving we have collaborated with Disney to bring the spirit of Moana to four young girls who attend our clinics in New York, Colorado, and Florida.
Dalilah, Eloise, Carmela and Lily, aged 11-13, who were born with limb differences, have been gifted exclusive custom-designed Moana 2 bionic arm covers for their Open Bionics Hero Arms, plus a haul of merchandise ahead of the Moana 2 movie release today!
We have been working with Disney since 2016, providing Hero Arm designs based around famous characters at no cost to children. The collaboration goes beyond technology and hardware, creating magical moments, like exclusive Disney theme park visits and red carpet movie premieres.
The Hero Arm is an advanced bionic arm and the first of its kind for children. Open Bionics uses 3D scanning and printing to custom-create each bionic arm. There are sensors in the socket that sit on top of the skin, and depending on how a wearer squeezes their muscles, embedded software converts the muscle signals into bionic finger movements.
Meet the Heroes
Dalilah: Moana Superfan and Active Campaigner for the Limb Difference Community
11-year-old Dalilah from Colorado, was the first to receive her Hero Arm x Moana surprise from her Open Bionics clinician Elise in Denver. Elise has been working with Dalilah for around 2 years and was thrilled to deliver Disney’s epic haul.
Dalilah said: “This was an incredible surprise. I’m a huge Moana fan. I named my dog Moana and I use my Hero Arm to take her for walks. It’s so cool that my bionic arm now matches my favorite movie. I love the intricate patterns and the Heart of Te Fiti feature on the hand. I cannot wait to wear this to school.”
When talking about raising a child with a limb difference, Desirae Dalilah’s mom says the Lucky Fin community gave her the confidence she needed “At first I didn’t know anybody like Dalilah, I had so many worries and questions like any parent would. And then I found out about the Lucky Fin community. It was amazing because there are so many people from all walks of life, models, writers, engineers and I felt relief knowing Dalilah will be able to grow up and be able to do anything she puts her mind to. We have been a part of the Lucky Fin community since Dalilah was two-years old, so she has grown up meeting and knowing people who are like her which I think has given her and me a lot of confidence.”
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Samantha Payne, CEO at Open Bionics, commented: “We heard Dalilah was a huge Moana fan, and have seen her on the news raising awareness for the congenital amputee community, we couldn’t wait to plan a Disney magic moment for her.”
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Carmela: Broadway Dreams and Breaking Barriers
Aspiring Broadway star Carmela, 13, from Jackson Heights in New York City, is currently rehearsing three nights a week for her school’s production of Seussical the Musical, where she’s playing Gertrude McFuzz, a character who triumphs with just one feather.
She said: “I’m no different, I have to practice just as hard as everyone else. I’ll be judged on my voice, my dance, and my acting — not whether I have a limb difference.”
While confidence has never been an issue for Carmela, she was attracted to the stylish design of the Hero Arm. She said: “I love how it looked so futuristic. But since wearing it, it’s making such a difference to my day-to-day life.”
The Hero Arm is a lightweight, breathable prosthesis, suitable for adults and children from five years old.
Carmela uses her Hero Arm to cut up her food using a knife and a fork, do daily chores and she’s even practising to play ukulele with it. Her Open Bionics CPO, Dan, said Carmela is a joy to work with and loved creating a Disney moment for her.
Lily: Gaming, Golf, and Growing Independence
From Calcium, New York, 11-year-old Lily is an art golfing, and swimming enthusiast and has never let her limb difference hold her back. “I love that I can customize my Hero Arm, I feel more confident when I wear it and my friends love the design.”
When her dad, Jason, stumbled on Open Bionics, he knew it would be something his daughter would use. He said: “It had it all: the design, the lightness, and the functionality of the sensors. It wasn’t just a 3D printed tool, it had the myoelectric technology built in. We knew it would be much more reliable than what she had in the past.
“Lily wanted a Hero Arm to see if it could make some of her day-to-day activities easier. Some days she will pop it on and go to school and wear it around the house, and other days she doesn’t. But now she has that choice of how she wants to do things.”
Eloise: Busy Sports and Music Enthusiast
Eloise, 12, from Orlando, Florida, is into sport and music and uses her Hero Arm to enhance her busy life. She said: “I play soccer three nights a week, sing in the choir, and play piano. My Hero Arm lets me ride my bike, hold books, and carry my school bag without asking anyone else for help.”
Mom Elizabeth said: “Not much can slow Eloise down. She had a prosthetic arm in the past, but it wasn’t very sturdy so she struggled to ride her bike, and it couldn’t hold anywhere near the weight her Hero Arm can.”
Eloise is looking forward to wearing her new Moana Hero Arm to the theater to see the film with her family on opening night. Her Open Bionics CPO Emily was as excited as Eloise to see Disney’s surprise delivered on the day the movie priemered.
All four girls are advocates for the limb difference community. From playing the ukulele to mastering daily tasks with newfound ease, these young champions are showing the world that differences are superpowers. We can’t wait to see what they all do next.
If you would like to book a free Hero Arm demo or find out where your nearest Open Bionics clinic is, register today and we’ll be in touch soon.