Meet Michelle Carr, realtor, Texan, golfer, multi-grip bionic arm power-user, and Hero Arm customizer. 

The last time we published an interview with below-elbow amputee Michelle was in 2021! How fast does time fly? Check out what Michelle did first when she was fitted with her Hero Arm back in 2019.

Michelle is one of the earliest adopters of the Hero Arm. She lives in Texas with her family. 

We follow Michelle on Twitter and love seeing how she has been getting the absolute most out of her tech. We cover a lot of users getting their Hero Arms for the first time, but our favorite stories are from our power users who have built up years of experience with their Hero Arm. So, here is a story with someone who is a Hero Arm expert, please enjoy us checking in with *the* Michelle in Texas.

Hey Michelle, it has been 4 years! Tell us all, how is your Hero Arm holding up?

Just FYI, I do get teary-eyed when talking about it! I still have the original one. It’s held up really well. I’m pretty hard on it sometimes, but it keeps on going.

Do you know you’re one of the earliest adopters of this tech? Many people were afraid of 3D printed bionics but you signed right on up! What was it about this device that made you go for it? 

Oh, man! I was so excited when ya’ll came to the United States. I wanted the light-weight socket and an arm that was adjustable, you know how you have a little bit of room for growth and fluctuation in weight (referencing the Hero Arm’s flexible socket). I didn’t get to see it before I ordered it, there were not any prototypes before I received it. It was a big surprise just how lightweight it was compared to the other myo’s.*

Are you an early adopter of all technologies? 

I can’t say I’m an early adopter, but I do keep up with the different myos that are being produced. To me, it’s just amazing that the Hero Arm is even out there. It had been 35 years since I had even worn a prosthesis before Open Bionics came along. Truly, if I had not seen the Hero Arm, I still wouldn’t be wearing one.  

Should people be afraid of 3D printing? 

 I don’t think anyone should worry about it being 3D printed.  I only see an upside to it, breathable and lightweight.                

What activities do you use your Hero Arm most for? 

I use it for a little bit of everything! I drive a tractor with it, garden, cook, sew, clean the house, play catch with a football, (try) to play basketball, painted and stained, blow dry my hair, and put on my makeup, just to name a few.  

How often do you wear your multi-grip bionic arm? 

I pretty much wear it most hours of the day, it depends on what I’m doing that day. I definitely don’t wear it to the grocery store. People see it and want to ask questions, which is fine, but trying to get my shopping done and fielding questions is tough sometimes!  I forgot to mention that I wear the Hero Flex to play golf too!  

How would you rate how comfortable it is – Texas gets hot! 

Wearing it in Texas, wow! It does get hot here and last year was definitely the hottest. Over 100 degrees with a heat index of 105-109 degrees.  Most days, you couldn’t go outside without sweating, so I wouldn’t wear it as often. Most other summers I took the covers off so it was more breathable.    

What do you wish it could do? For the next generation…

Really and truly it does pretty much everything I need it to do. 

I would like to see it be able to text or swipe on the phone screen/tablet, maybe the grip to be a little stronger or adjustable to suit a specific need. Maybe the hand itself could be smaller; I have one with the battery underneath. I would like the battery to be smaller. Other than that it does pretty much everything else.

Any advice to people considering coming to see us in Texas? 

If you’re out of state and coming here; it’s always summer here! Our winter is January-February maybe mid-March. Bring shorts! Also, take the time to visit and walk around Austin. That area is so pretty. It’s also just outside of the hill country and that’s even prettier.        

What do we need to know about Texas before we open an Austin prosthetic center?  

Austin is a pretty laid-back area, just check the weather, I’m so excited! 

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