Father who lost his right hand gets bionic arm to help feed his son

Father, 26, who lost his right hand and both legs to meningitis as a child gets a £10,000 bionic arm to help him feed and bathe his son (and he can’t wait to change his one-year-old’s nappy!)

• Danny Florence, 26, of Durham, was struck down with meningitis as a child
• Mr Florence also lost three fingers on his left hand and both of his lower legs 
• He has struggled to bathe, feed and change the nappy of his one-year-old son
• But now he can’t wait to take on a more active role, with his ‘Hero Arm’ limb 

A father who lost his right hand and both legs to meningitis as a child can now look after his son – after being fitted with a £10,000 bionic arm.

Danny Florence, 26, of Durham, has struggled to bathe, feed and change the nappy of Joshua ever since he was born last year.

But now he can’t wait to take on a more active role, saying his girlfriend of five years Danielle Lilley, 25, has become ‘more of a carer’ for both him and his son. 

Mr Florence, who admits he can’t wait to change Joshua’s nappy, said: ‘It was just an incredible feeling having the arm fitted. It’s amazing. 

Danny Florence, 26, of Durham, has struggled to bathe, feed and change the nappy of Joshua ever since he was born last year. But now he can’t wait to take on a more active role, after getting a bionic arm (pictured with his son) 

Danny Florence, a bank worker from Durham, lost his right hand, three fingers and his legs at the age of five due to meningitis 

Mr Florence has spent most of his life without his hand (pictured with his son, Joshua)

‘It’s a really nice way to end what has been a really tough year. It’s the best Christmas present I could have asked for.’

Mr Florence has spent most of his life without his hand, after surviving his bout of meningitis when he was just five years old.

It quickly turned into septicaemia, which damaged his blood vessels and reduced the flow of blood to his limbs. 

Septicaemia can lead to the loss of limbs. Mr Florence also lost three fingers on his left hand and both of his lower legs. 

He is only able to get around with the use of prosthetic legs, an electric wheelchair and help from friends and family.

Mr Florence avoided prosthetic arms for two decades because of how they looked but felt he was missing out after the arrival of his son.

As a result, he decided to try and raise the five-figure sum needed for the ‘Hero Arm’ earlier this year.

The limb, manufactured by Open Bionics, was fitted on Monday. Mr Florence said: ‘I think my arm will help me in my role as a Dad in many, many ways. 

Mr Florence avoided prosthetic arms for two decades because of how they looked but felt he was missing out after the arrival of his son

As a result, he decided to try and raise the five-figure sum needed for the ‘Hero Arm’ earlier this year

He said: ‘The day I got it, I wrote Joshua’s name and I haven’t been able to write for a long time because of the pain’

‘Confidence-wise it will, because if Joshua needs me to do anything, I should be able to.

‘For example, when he’s a bit older and needs to fasten a zip on his coat, I should be able to do it.

‘It sounds disgusting, but I want to be able to change his nappy. I want to be able to feed him, because holding a spoon hurts my hand as well.’

‘The day I got it, I wrote Joshua’s name and I haven’t been able to write for a long time because of the pain.’

Mr Florence admitted not being able to console Joshua when he cries has had a detrimental effect on his ability to bond with him. 

He added: ‘When I had my little boy, I realised there was a lot I couldn’t do, and that led me to actually do something about it.

‘He’s not as close to me as you’d expect a little lad to be with his dad. He doesn’t look to me as his primary care giver.

‘When he cries, I can’t console him because he just wants his mum because she does everything for him.

‘She couldn’t leave me alone for ten minutes with him because I couldn’t do things that need two hands.’  

Mr Florence admitted not being able to console Joshua when he cries has had a detrimental effect on his ability to bond with him (pictured using cutlery to eat)

He added: ‘When I had my little boy, I realised there was a lot I couldn’t do, and that led me to actually do something about it’ (pictured playing with Joshua) 

Mr Florence is pictured holding Joshua before he was fitted with the ‘Hero Arm’

Joshua is pictured in his pram. Mr Florence said he can’t wait to change his son’s nappy

Mr Florence said he hopes his new arm can help him create memories with his son as he grows older – and care for any future babies the couple have (pictured with fiancee Danielle)

Mr Florence said he hopes his new arm can help him create memories with his son as he grows older – and care for any future babies the couple have.  

He added: ‘I always imagined myself being a dad and doing things like playing crazy golf or playing tennis.

‘I’ve never been able to do that, but hopefully once I’ve mastered the arm I can do things like that.’

The 3D arm is controlled by his own muscles, making it the most realistic prosthetic he can get. It is not available on the NHS.

It contains electrodes which detect tiny electrical signals from the user’s muscles. These signals activate movements in the prosthetic.

This allows users to do everyday tasks such as brushing their hair, holding cutlery or pouring water from a kettle.   

Mr Florence had raised a third of the £10,000 needed for the bionic arm and hit his target when co-manufacturer Maxon Motors made a generous donation.  

He added: ‘Seeing the arm – you get an overwhelming sense when you first see it. I then got to try it on and, like magic, I got it to work pretty much straight away.

‘It’s very smart. Previously I’ve had a very ugly static hand and this is a very, very nice looking hand.’ 

HOW DOES THE HERO ARM WORK? 

Open Bionics designs and manufactures the prosthetic limb, which uses an actuator, designed by Maxon.

An actuator is a mechanical device that can turn energy into movement. It helps wearers move each finger. 

As muscles generate electrical signals when they contract, they create movement when connected to the electrodes in the prosthetic.

Each Hero Arm is custom-built using 3D printing and 3D scanning technologies, so that it fits the user perfectly.

It has six grip types, such as fist, hook, pinch and tripod, to allow for versatility. It is battery powered.

The companies ‘Hero Arm’ claims to be less than half the price of its nearest competitor, and can be fitted for amputees as young as nine years old. 

The cost of the 3D bionic arms varies according to individual clinics.

But a spokeswoman for Open Bionics said they are ‘vastly cheaper’ than existing advanced alternatives that cost between £20,000 and £60,000 for one hand. 

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