Holding hands for first time
Quadruple amputee and meningitis survivor Harmonierose has finally been able to hold her family’s hands after being given a bionic arm.
Harmonie-rose, from Foxhill in Bath, lost all four limbs to meningitis when she was 10 months old in 2014.
The seven-year-old already uses prosthetic legs but has now been given a new bionic arm with fingers she can move using muscles in her arm.
Freya Hall, Harmonie’s mum, said it had been “amazing” to see her do things that she hadn’t been able to do before, like open doors and play in the woods.
Freya said: “She has had the arm for a couple of weeks now so it is still really new. One of the first things she did was paint the nails.
“We had a trial with the arm back in late October as we really weren’t sure it would work because we didn’t know if she had the right muscles in the right places following her amputation at Bristol Children’s Hospital seven years ago.
“It makes us all so happy to see her using it and we feel so proud.”
Freya went on to say that Harmonie-rose has always been “full of light” and never lets anything stop her.
In 2019 Harmonie-rose took part in the Bath Half Marathon, perhaps the youngest ever to join the line-up.
She enjoys playing with her sister Luna, who is three, and has now held her hand for the first time.
Freya said: “It’s just so nice to see them holding hands because they hadn’t been able to do that before.
“It is the little things that everyone else takes for granted that make the biggest difference, like picking up toys and playing.
“What science can do these days is brilliant and in the future, as she gets older, the choice of arms will get more developed and advanced.”
Freya added: “Right now she can’t have anything too heavy and is still learning to use it but is doing so well.”
She explained that Harmonierose asked for a hand and the prosthetics department said they could help.
“She was so happy when we realised it could work, it was really emotional. At the moment she is working towards being able to throw a ball.
“To us, she is normal the way she is but she inspires us every day. She has got such a bright character.”
Harmonie, who was given a 10 per cent chance of survival when she fell ill with meningitis, now attends school and has learnt to run on prosthetic legs.
After the cancellation of the London Marathon in the first lockdown, she raised £76,000 by running 26 times 2.6 metres without prosthetic legs, jumping on a trampoline 26 times, and performing 26 cartwheels.