7-Year-Old Lakewood Girl Receives Robotic Hand Created By 3D Printer
LOS ALAMITOS (CBSLA.com) — A 7-year-old girl who suffers from limb difference received a robotic hand Tuesday that was created by a 3D printer.
Faith Lennox, of Lakewood, had her left hand and forearm amputated when she was 9-months-old.
During labor, the circulation to Lennox's left forearm was cut off, which resulted in a common crush injury known as Compartment Syndrome, according to her mother.
The lack of circulation killed the muscle and skin tissues in her arm, which were surgically removed during her first three weeks of life.
When she was 6-months-old, the bones in her forearm broke and did not heal correctly.
"She was about six months old and the bone broke in the forearm, because the tissues down to the bones had died," Faith's mother Nicole said.
About three months later, officials explained to the Lennox family that amputation was the only and best option moving forward.
"We just always had the impression that it's just an arm, it's just a hand," Nicole said. "Everything else, she's perfectly healthy."
Lennox eventually adjusted to only having one dominant arm.
She tried out several prosthetic options to ease any struggles, but they all were too uncomfortable, bulky and expensive for the first-grader.
According to experts, professionally made prosthetic hands can cost anywhere between $6,000 to $40,000.
With the addition of 3D printing, however, technology has offered a less expensive option.
Thanks to the non-profit organization, e-NABLE, along with the help of Build It Workspace President Lengsfeld, Lennox received full access to create a robotic hand for only $50.
"We've never tried it as a prosthetic before, and so this was part of the excitement of it all," Build It Workspace's Mark Lengsfeld said.
Around 10 a.m., she received a new robotic left hand, which was created by a 3D printer at Build It Workspace, located at 4478 Cerritos Avenue.
The hand -- which she requested to be pink, purple and blue -- took around 24 hours to create.
Officials explained that Compartment Syndrome is extremely rare during labor. Lennox is considered the 25th reported case.
Meanwhile, Faith is focused on one advantage of her new hand.
"I want to show my friends my hand."
