What began as a routine clinic visit turned into a once-in-a-lifetime surprise for 12-year-old Kai Pollnitz, a Texas middle schooler born without his right hand.
Kai lives near Austin and spends his time playing basketball, practicing karate, gaming, and watching his favorite creators on YouTube–especially MrBeast. For years, he dreamed of having a bionic arm to help with everyday tasks many of his peers take for granted, from tying his karate belt and cutting his own food to riding a bike and feeling more confident at school.
“I really like basketball because I can play it,” Kai said. “I can get past most people and shoot.”
As Kai entered middle school, teasing and bullying became a painful reality. “People usually try to tell me what I can’t do,” he said. “But I’m actually really good at sports and video games.”
While researching prosthetic options, Kai’s parents discovered Open Bionics, known for building advanced multi-grip bionic arms with customizable covers inspired by brands like Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Call of Duty. However, Kai’s health insurance would not cover the cost of a myoelectric prosthetic.
“We tried crowdfunding and did everything we could as a family,” said Kai’s adopted mother, Charlotte Pollnitz. “It was humbling to make a video asking for help, but we just wanted Kai to have a fair chance at life. Every donation brought him hope.”
Even as fundraising progressed slowly, Charlotte brought Kai to our clinic in Austin for an evaluation.
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“Even before we could afford it, Open Bionics treated us like we mattered. Anytime I had questions, someone answered with real advice. We knew we were in capable hands.”
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“Even before we could afford it, Open Bionics treated us like we mattered,” Charlotte said. “Anytime I had questions, someone answered with real advice. We knew we were in capable hands.”
During the appointment, Kai tried a bionic arm for the first time.
“We both cried,” Charlotte said. “He has never been able to use that hand, and suddenly he could. Watching him pick something up and drink from a cup with his right hand felt unbelievable.”
Kai described the experience as “fantastic,” but knowing his family’s situation, he reassured his mother: “It would be so great to have a right hand, but I’m fine with waiting.”
What Kai didn’t know was that a surprise was already in motion. When Jimmy Donaldson—known globally as MrBeast—learned about Kai’s story, he decided to step in.
Just a few days before Christmas, Kai returned for what he believed would be a routine follow-up appointment. Instead, MrBeast walked into the room carrying a custom-built Hero PRO bionic arm, designed just for Kai. The arm featured hand-painted MrBeast-themed covers, complete with the iconic blue-and-pink panther and Kai’s name.
“He was completely in awe,” Charlotte said. “He kept whispering, ‘Mama, is this real? Is that really MrBeast?’”
Underneath Kai’s custom MrBeast covers is his Hero PRO, a lightweight, durable, and water-resistant bionic arm.
“This is the most futuristic bionic arm on the planet,” said MrBeast. “There are sensors in the arm that pick up on your nerves, so you can use the hand without having to pull on anything.”
“At first I couldn’t speak,” Kai later admitted. “I never thought I’d meet him in real life.”
Behind the scenes, our ambassador Tilly Lockey—a bilateral bionic arm user herself—was also present for the reveal.
“Being part of this project with MrBeast feels full circle for me,” Lockey said. “I was once the kid being surprised with a bionic arm, and now I get to be there for Kai. I know exactly how life-changing that moment can be.”
Hero PRO is one of the most advanced multi-grip bionic arms available today, developed with input from more than 1,000 users over four years of research and development. The fully wireless, water-resistant arm can lift up to 55 pounds, is touchscreen-compatible, and features a fully articulating wrist with a quick-release system for activity attachments.
With his Hero PRO, Kai has already begun tackling two-handed tasks for the first time—on the basketball court and at home.
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“This is the most futuristic bionic arm on the planet.” – MrBeast.
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“We never imagined something like this would happen for him,” Charlotte said. “It’s once in a lifetime, not just because he met his idol, but because he now has a bionic arm that will change his life.”
When asked what he hopes others take away from his story, Kai said, “Don’t let people put you down. Nothing’s going to stop you. You just learn an alternative.”
The reveal was filmed by the MrBeast production team and is now available to watch on the MrBeast YouTube channel.
We work with children and families every day who are navigating questions about insurance and funding. Schedule a free virtual consultation with our certified prosthetists to learn more about bionic arm options for you or your child, and explore what’s possible.
So, you’re about to enter the exciting journey of launching a crowdfunding campaign for your Hero Arm? This can be an exhilarating time in your bionic journey. Of course, you may be feeling nervous, overwhelmed, and curious as to if your efforts to achieve your goal will prove fruitful. Not to worry, within this blog, I (as someone who has gone through the process) will share important steps and tips for managing a successful crowdfunding campaign; one that will have you heading to an Open Bionics clinic for your Hero Arm unboxing in no-time!
First, I’d like to address the elephant in the room and express my belief that crowdfunding for a prosthesis is an avenue that the limb different community should not have to take. Crowdfunding and GoFundMe are not healthcare. We face an uphill battle in making prosthetic devices accessible for those who want them through the healthcare system. When insurance denials occur, it’s extremely discouraging and rightfully so. Appealing an insurance denial can be even more stressful and time consuming. Luckily, the route of crowdfunding is an option for those who wish to explore it, but we should never accept it as the only avenue.
I am a congenital amputee and attempted to get my first Hero Arm by Open Bionics in early 2020 through my insurance at the time. After multiple conversations that led nowhere, conflicting information, and ultimately denial, I was faced with a monumental decision: do I give up the fight for a device designed to make my life more accommodating or do I push on?
Context: I was not the type of person to ask for help. I had a bad habit of suffering in silence. I carried this mentality with me for a while after my insurance denial. It wasn’t until late summer of that year did I receive the motivation I needed to launch my Hero Arm GoFundMe campaign. My stepmother told me to never underestimate someone’s desire to help. With that, I set out to get my Hero Arm.
First, I connected with a funding success manager, Sarah, at Open Bionics who guided me through every step. From creating a video of myself explaining why I wanted a Hero Arm and what I would use it for.
Here are the things I did that resulted in my funding goal being met in under 60 days:
I absolutely credit the amount received in the opening hours to priming my audience as opposed to randomly dropping the campaign link without notification. This is a sure way for campaigns to go unnoticed, or to generate too little attention in the crucial beginnings. I branched out the reach as well, using both my Twitter account and LinkedIn to also share what I was posting in the Facebook group. Each week, I shared a heartwarming story, fun fact, call to action, and even hardship on each platform with the donation link. I encourage those who may be shy in their crowdfunding endeavors to not be afraid to pull the heartstrings. Be raw and real. Show people what you face and how a Hero Arm will make your life better.
As an amputee, it’s not easy to share aspects of our lives online. It’s an invasion of privacy and can elicit unwanted comments or feelings that can be emotionally overwhelming. I completely empathize with this. However, we cannot be afraid to show people what we go through if we want their support.. We must be willing to give them a peek into our world, a world that opens them up to empathy and a motivation to give. Show them the difficult tasks you face without a prosthesis. Show them how your current prosthesis gives you a rash or blisters. Show them how the Hero Arm could make these situations better.
At the beginning of each week, I shared updates across all social platforms on the donation total thus far and number of shares. I also included a call to action such as “Can we make it to X shares and X amount of money by the end of this week?” This proved to also keep my audience engaged and excited to see the numbers rise, with some sharing multiple times and even donating multiple times.
I took the campaign further and reached out to members of my community as well. I contacted my local newspapers, my college, my high school board of education, local churches, clubs, any organization that popped into my head that I thought may help, I contacted. The very least they could say was no. I printed flyers and posted them at businesses with their permission. I even sent a private email to my former Dean of University, a woman I knew had multiple connections in high places. Through her assistance, I was fortunate to generate another $8,000. My point here is: do not be afraid to reach out to someone. If their name pops into your head even slightly, contact them.
In the end, I was able to begin my fitting journey for the Hero Arm by reaching my crowdfunding goal in a month and a half! Through the campaign video showing me and my needs, priming my audience, creating a community where all info and updates could be shared, sharing consistently, keeping the audience engaged, and stepping out of my comfort zone, I was able to do what I thought would be impossible in the beginning. The largest bit of advice would be to never give up. Keep at it. Take mental breaks, but always return to rejuvenate your campaign. If I could breathe life into every dormant Hero Arm GoFundMe, I would do so in a heartbeat.
Do you know anyone who would love a Hero Arm but doesn’t know how to secure funds? Register and speak to our funding success team today.
Register to chat with us about how we can help you get a Hero Arm!
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