Hayley Fraser A British woman born without fingers on her left hand received an unusual bionic hand Country: Great Britain

1. The Story of Hailey Fraser: A Girl with a Bionic Hand
2. Hailey's Journey with a Congenital Hand Anomaly

The Story of Hailey Fraser: A Girl with a Bionic Hand

This is the story of a British girl born without fingers on her left hand, who became the owner of a stylish pink and purple 'superhero hand'... When Hailey Fraser, the daughter of David and Zania Foster, was born without fingers on her left hand, her parents were very worried that her life would be filled with challenges. And their concerns were valid. At the age of five, Hailey started attending preschool. She was already aware that she was "different" and tried to hide her hand from her new friends. However, that feeling of awkwardness was replaced by genuine pride when Hailey became the first child in the UK to have a very affordable prosthetic hand made with the help of a 3D printer. Unlike traditional and "dreary" prosthetics, Fraser's model, which cost just £50, had a bright and bold look. This vibrant design was specifically created so that disabled children could feel happy, show off their prosthetic, and stop feeling self-conscious. "All her dreams have come true," said 36-year-old Mr. Fraser, an electrical contractor. "Now she can hold her teddy bear, peel a banana, and even paint her nails. The prosthetic has made a real difference in her life..."

Hailey's Journey with a Congenital Hand Anomaly

Hailey was born with symbrachydactyly, a congenital abnormality that left her with stumps instead of fingers on her left hand. Doctors could only advise her parents to consider a finger transplant surgery using her own toes. David said, "We didn't make a tragedy out of her condition, but when it came to taking a photograph, she would turn to the camera with her other hand or hide her left hand behind her back. We always told her that she is who she is, but there came a point when she had to go to preschool, and the kids started asking questions." Hailey's family learned about the non-profit group E-Nable, which introduced the girl's parents to Frankie Flood, a designer from the University of Wisconsin. They created a plaster cast of Hailey's hand and sent it to Professor Flood. Using a method of layer-by-layer creation of a physical object from a digital 3D model, the pink and purple bionic hand was ready in six weeks. The simple device is controlled by the wrist and a system of wires. Since its establishment about a year ago, the E-Nable group has produced around 40 superhero-style hands, some equipped with LED lights and others with claws. Melina Brown, a volunteer from E-Nable, said, "When we first started, the focus was on functionality, but now it's much more about a sense of self-worth. These hands are so cool that kids suddenly transform from those who had problems at school to owners of a cool superhero hand that everyone dreams of having." The charitable organization that helped Hailey was founded by American designer-artist Ivan Owen and South African carpenter Richard van As, who lost fingers due to an accident with a power saw.