Star Wars Fan Receives an R2D2 Bionic Arm
Photo: Chris Edwards-Pritchard/Open Bionics
11 Year-old, Isabella Tadlock was born with what her family described as a “nub” on the end of her left arm and no fingers on her right hand. After several surgeries, she now has three fingers and a thumb on her right hand. But, Isabella was about to get a bionic arm that is out of this world.
When Isabella’s arm was delivered (after raising over $14,000) she had to tell everyone. Everyone included one famous Jedi. Mark Hamill, the actor who plays Luke Skywalker, heard about the arm and wanted to see it. Isabella had a Skype session with Hamill to show off the R2D2 themed arm. They spent 30 minutes on the call.
Three months later on February 20th, they met. According to the CNN interview Hamill said, “”I heard you’re a Star Wars fan. But I have to tell you, I’m a big fan of yours. I’m so proud of you,” Hamill said in the video. “They call it a hero arm because you really are a hero.”
Open Bionics is the company behind the “hero arm”. Their mission is to give children with limb disabilities a chance to do all the same things a non-disabled child can do. “Welcome to the future, where disabilities are superpowers,” they say on their website.
Isabella reports to CNN that she can now “ride my bike, swing on the monkey bars, create in the kitchen and be like my friends”. Good for you Isabella!
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