13th October 2026
Fin was fitted with his Hero PRO bionic arm just days before he started middle school.
Within an hour of the fitting, he was already putting it to work.
Fin’s fitting appointment.
“When I was fitted, I was amazed at the design, it looks so cool. After the fitting, I practiced writing using the key thumb mode, and was able to use a ruler and draw a straight line on paper. I also carried a backpack, grabbed fruit, but had to adjust the sensitivity on the grip as it crushed a honeycomb square.”
Fin using a ruler with his Hero PRO.
Fin, 11, lives in a small town. When he was two, he lost both arms and both legs below the knee to meningococcal septicemia. He hadn’t worn an upper-limb prosthesis before this fitting.
On his left side, where his amputation is at the wrist, Fin has a partial palm and thumb and already manages well day to day. His right side, amputated closer to the elbow, has less function. That’s the side Fin wanted a Hero PRO for, so it could support his left hand with two-handed tasks at school, like holding a piece of wood steady while using a file or holding a paintbrush.
He was starting middle school with his old classmates and was especially looking forward to art and design technology classes.
Fin’s family needed three appointments to get his bionic arm made.
“It all happened much faster than we expected, from finding out about the Hero PRO, to a check socket appointment in June, we didn’t think it would be ready before school, but the clinical team worked so hard to make it happen for Fin, they were so easy to work with.”
Sarah, Fin’s mother
Fin’s Hero PRO was custom-built to his shape and his individual needs. It uses myoelectric control, which means sensors pick up signals from the muscles in his arm and turn them into hand movements.
Fin holding an apple with his Hero PRO.
Hero PRO is a lightweight multi-grip bionic arm with 7 grip modes, plus 21 additional grips that can be downloaded through the Sidekick app. It has a wrist that rotates a full 360 degrees and a touchscreen-compatible fingertip, and it charges by USB-C.
Fin was two years old when what looked like a cold or flu turned critical fast. “He was a little floppy, with a few pimple-like spots on his shoulder,” Sarah recalls.
In the hospital, his condition declined over three hours, and doctors placed him in an induced coma to stop the infection spreading. After two weeks in the hospital, surgeons amputated both of his arms and both of his legs below the knee. Fin has had 10 operations in total.
“We made it our mission to get him leg prosthetics that will keep up with his energy and resilience. Today he loves kung fu, football, and swimming.”
Sarah, Fin’s mother
Since starting middle school, Fin has been enjoying taking his Hero PRO to school. He’s now working with his school’s Design and Technology department to test out 3D printing his own covers for it.
Fin in front of the cover wall.
Sarah is already looking ahead.
“The next chapter is helping him get back to riding his bike more confidently, and trying out tennis and ping pong, which is where I think the Hero PRO will really help him build that confidence.”
Samantha Payne MBE, Co-founder of Open Bionics, said at the time of Fin’s fitting:
“Starting school is such a big moment for any child, and it means so much to know Fin is walking into it with more independence and confidence with his new bionic arm. We wish Fin the very best luck at his new school.”
Talk to a specialist about Hero PRO, Hero ARM for kids age 8 and up, and what your next step could look like. Register to request more information.
Request Information →Fin’s and Sarah’s quotes reflect their personal experience. The right device depends on your anatomy, your goals and how you will actually use it day to day.
All photography © Tom Wren / SWNS.
