A three-year-old girl from Herefordshire, Hero, is one of the first to benefit from a soft, customisable prosthetic arm, at a tenth of the cost of traditional alternatives

At their 20-week pregnancy scan, Hero’s parents, Amy and Ben, were told they were going to have a daughter with a difference; a one in 32,000 upper limb difference called Symbrachydactyly.

Going against suggestions to terminate the pregnancy from doctors who were worried about other potential complications, Hero was born happy and healthy, but with only one hand. Hero was two and a half when she was first introduced to Mitt Wearables, and the technology has allowed her to learn new skills and enjoy hobbies she previously could not do. This includes painting, helping her parents in the garden with a screwdriver and holding objects in both hands.

Upper limb differences affect thousands of people across the UK and can occur for a number of reasons, including amputation due to injury or infection, and conditions developed in the womb.

The entrepreneurs behind Mitt Wearables - Nate Macabuag (24) and Ben Lakey (27) - are supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub, after Nate won the People’s Choice Award at the Hub’s 2018 Launchpad Competition for young entrepreneurs and Ben was awarded an Enterprise Fellowship.

Traditional prosthetic arms are heavy and range in price from £5,000 to £10,000. In contrast, each Mitt will cost less than £500 and, being inspired by sportswear, is lightweight, easy to put on and can be used by both children and adults.

For Hero’s parents, Mitt has been exactly what they needed for their daughter, allowing her to take part in lots of activities, without it seeming like a big deal.

Ben Lakey, co-founder of Mitt Wearables, commented: “Listening to users, there is a clear need for affordable, comfortable and functional prostheses that can help people continue to do whatever it is they are passionate about – whether that’s cooking, painting, using an iPad, drumming, or any number of specific tasks.

“Traditional prosthetic arms are not only expensive but tend to be heavy and uncomfortable to wear. We’ve taken a very different route with Mitt. Instead of trying to mimic a hand, we’ve created an arm and a range of simple tools that can be attached and swapped as required. And the feedback we’re receiving has been just amazing.

“The support from the Enterprise Hub has been invaluable, providing us with counsel from not only Britain’s top engineers, but also the practical business skills we needed to launch our company.”

For the past two years, Mitt Wearables has been trialling its product with users, with the official launch planned for next spring. The prosthetic will be available from Mitt’s website, and anyone who is interested in being among the first to get one, can join the beta launch waiting list now at www.wearmitt.com.

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