Bless our hearts with this heart warming story – Mason Wilde, who has always had a passion when it comes to seeing how things work, is only 16 years old, but he has put his skills to good use by making use of the Johnson County Library’s 3D printer in order to craft out a prosthetic hand for 9-year-old Matthew. Matthew was born with just a thumb on his right hand, and the 16-year-old Louisburg High School junior churned out this 3D printed prosthetic hand two months ago in order to help change the life of his family friend’s 9-year-old son. Wilde’s creation of this 3D printed prosthetic hand is capable of opening and closing, not to mention hold a pencil. Isn’t that neat?
Matthew’s condition is known as a limb difference, where it happens in approximately 5 out of every 10,000 births, where it will affect hands, arms, legs and toes. So far, the cause of it remains unknown. A real prosthetic hand from the medical circles could cost all the way up to $18,000, but Matthew’s mom, Jennifer, could not afford it even with insurance since she is a single mother. Thanks to Wilde’s creation, which has been dubbed as the Robohand, it will be driven by the motion of the wrist – when you move the wrist up, the hand will open, and move it down and the fingers will close.