Three Children Have Received Bionic Arms in Time for Christmas

Many people see Christmas as a time for celebration and spreading kindness. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to give gifts and share happiness with everyone, especially our family and friends, even strangers who need it the most.

Now, here is a heartwarming story you might want to read.

Did you know that three children just received bionic arms—what they call “the best Christmas present ever,” just in time for the holidays? 

Pretty cool, right?

Zoey Hampton-Pigeon, 8, Finn Jarvis, 11, and Ettie Baker, also 8, received their new Hero Arms on December 12th, thanks to the Big Hero 3 campaign.

The Hero Arm is a custom, lightweight, and affordable prosthetic arm that allows users to grip and hold different objects. Made to be useful and good-looking, these arms give these children the confidence to finally do daily activities. 

This new technology is available for kids 8 and older and adults who have lost their arms below the elbow. This bionic arm is available in over 801 places in the US and throughout the UK.

Now, you might be wondering, 

Who Created the Big Hero 3 Campaign?

The campaign was launched by mother Sarah Lockey, whose daughter had previously needed a prosthetic arm.

Sarah’s daughter, Tilly, lost both hands to meningitis. But because of her mother’s campaign, Tilly now wears two Hero Arms and hosts an annual fundraiser called the Big Hero 3 with her mom.

This campaign helps random children with missing limbs across the UK get prosthetics made by the Open Bionics Foundation.

In 2024, the Big Hero 3 campaign raised £20,000, with help from other charities and an anonymous donor. This made up the £40,000 needed to give Finley, Colette, and Zoey their amazing bionic arms.

According to Alyse, Colette’s mom, She screamed when she found out she’d get a Hero Arm before Christmas.

“She’s becoming more conscious of the stares when out and is sometimes frustrated that she can’t do things the same as everyone else – so having the opportunity to receive a Hero Arm is life-changing for Ettie in many ways. For Ettie, she’s excited about doing things like handstands, riding her bike without an adaption, and tying her shoes,” Alyse added.

As for Ettie, she’s excited about doing things like handstands, riding her bike without an adaption, and tying her shoes. Ettie’s parents are also excited about the changes a Hero Arm will bring to her life. They see how strong she is when people ask her about her limb difference, and they believe the arm will boost her confidence. 

Zoey was born with a missing limb, and her parents discovered this during an ultrasound when her mom was 20 weeks pregnant.

Her dad, Thomas, said, “When Zoey was born, she saw several specialists, but there are no answers about why this happened to Zoey. It’s just one of those things.”

Now, Zoey is an athletic kid. She’s in gymnastics, goes swimming, and loves trampolining. She’s especially excited about finally being able to use a jump rope. 

“A Hero Arm will make such a massive difference to her independence, enabling her to do all these tasks, as well as her beloved skipping, without relying on help from others.”