3D printed arm’s just the gift little Charlie needed to open her Christmas presents
Six-year-old, thrilled as she receives hi-tech prosthetic
A GIRL of six has received her best Christmas present ever – and it was perfect for opening the rest of her gifts.
Charlie Cousins, who lost her right hand and forearm due to a blood clot before she was born, is thrilled to be fitted with a bright yellow and purple 3D-printed arm.
Her mum Kate Greener, 30, said: “This really was the perfect gift for Charlie.
“She is now more competitive at sports and feels like she can fit in.
“Charlie can now open her Christmas presents and play with her toys properly and do many other things six-year-old girls should be able to do.
“Charlie’s first words were, ‘Look, I’ve got 10 fingers’ – she is even excited she can count on her fingers now.”
Kate added: “She was able to chose the colours for this arm herself and she absolutely loves it.
“I guess it’s just the little things like being able to learn tying her shoe laces. We want to try baking now but I think for Charlie to even count to 10 on her fingers is brilliant.”
She used her left hand to write at school but unwrapping and tying shoe laces proved tricky.
After she struggled to use an NHS prosthetic arm, Charlie’s family finally turned for help to a team of experts who made 3D-printed products.
Mother-of-two Kate, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, got the idea after watching a TV show about new designs for children’s prosthetic limbs.
She asked family friend Alex Wetton, 28, for advice. His research discovered a Sheffield-based business called 3D Folkes, who took on the job of making Charlie’s arm.
Grateful Kate said: “It is wonderful what the guys have done.”
The company is run by former Sheffield Hallam University engineering student Ben Folkes, 23, who gained a grant from the Prince’s Trust to set up his own workshop.
He said: “It was really cool to get involved in something like this, which is very different to the clips, brackets and components we’re often working on.”
Charlie was able to choose the colours herself and just loves it KATE GREENER TELLS OF HER DAUGHTER’S JOY