Touch Bionics, provider of advanced prosthetic technologies, and the Mercedes GP F1 team revealed on Monday that Matthew James, a 14-year old who was born without a left hand, has been successfully fitted with the i-LIMB Pulse, the world’s leading electronic prosthetic hand.
Matthew is studying at Reading School, the same school Mercedes GP Team Principal, Ross Brawn, attended and still supports and visits on a regular basis.
Matthew is a big fan of Formula One and lives a normal teenage life, except that he has a lower arm deficiency which means that his left arm stops at his wrist.
In a letter to Ross, Matthew explained how his current prosthetic hand only allows him to perform basic tasks with a simple open and close grip mechanism.
Developed by Touch Bionics, the new The i-LIMBPulse hand would give him more control and freedom, and a much greater range of motions. The only issue: the hand is very expensive and is not generally available through the National Health Service.
Ross and the team were so moved by his unique letter that they got in touch with Matthew and his dad, Robert. After a few phone calls, a factory tour was oFrganised for Matthew, and at the same time, a technical representative from the team contacted Touch Bionics to start initial discussions on what could be done to help Matthew.
Since then the two companies have established a positive relationship and, in exchange for access to technology services that have benefited its research and development team, Touch Bionics was pleased to offer its clinical services for the fitting of Matthew’s i-LIMB™ Pulse, free of charge.
To help Matthew raise £10,000 towards the remaining cost of the hand, the Mercedes GP team is working closely with his family on their fundraising initiative. Matthew’s family have set up a fundraising web site to help raise the funds for his new prosthesis: http://mynewarm.moonfruit.com/donate
All this week, Matthew has been at Touch Bionics’ headquarters in Livingston, Scotland, working with the company’s expert team of clinicians to receive his i-LIMB™ Pulse prosthesis, and today he leaves as a proud wearer of the groundbreaking technology.
Matthew is studying at Reading School, the same school Mercedes GP Team Principal, Ross Brawn, attended and still supports and visits on a regular basis.
Matthew is a big fan of Formula One and lives a normal teenage life, except that he has a lower arm deficiency which means that his left arm stops at his wrist.
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| Matthew James (Photo: Mercedes GP Petronas) |
In a letter to Ross, Matthew explained how his current prosthetic hand only allows him to perform basic tasks with a simple open and close grip mechanism.
Developed by Touch Bionics, the new The i-LIMBPulse hand would give him more control and freedom, and a much greater range of motions. The only issue: the hand is very expensive and is not generally available through the National Health Service.
Ross and the team were so moved by his unique letter that they got in touch with Matthew and his dad, Robert. After a few phone calls, a factory tour was oFrganised for Matthew, and at the same time, a technical representative from the team contacted Touch Bionics to start initial discussions on what could be done to help Matthew.
Since then the two companies have established a positive relationship and, in exchange for access to technology services that have benefited its research and development team, Touch Bionics was pleased to offer its clinical services for the fitting of Matthew’s i-LIMB™ Pulse, free of charge.
To help Matthew raise £10,000 towards the remaining cost of the hand, the Mercedes GP team is working closely with his family on their fundraising initiative. Matthew’s family have set up a fundraising web site to help raise the funds for his new prosthesis: http://mynewarm.moonfruit.com/donate
All this week, Matthew has been at Touch Bionics’ headquarters in Livingston, Scotland, working with the company’s expert team of clinicians to receive his i-LIMB™ Pulse prosthesis, and today he leaves as a proud wearer of the groundbreaking technology.