The story of how Biomedical Engineering Senior Jeffrey Powell went above and beyond to assist a local six year old boy, Holden Mora – who was born without fully-formed fingers on his left hand, is now national a national story as reported on the CBS Morning News. As an undergraduate in the BME program at UNC, Jeff has access to a 3D printer, which he has used to print a prosthetic hand for Holden. Mr. Powell researched multiple hand designs until he found a simple one that would work well for Holden. While the hand does not allow for complex tasks like playing the piano, it translates wrist motion into closing fingers, which allows Holden to do things like hold toys or water bottles. Jeff, from Red Oak, NC, donated his time to print the hand components, assemble them, and calibrate and maintain the 3D printer to assure high print quality.
If you know of a child who is in need of a prosthetic hand, or if you are a BME undergraduate interested in learning about 3D printing and helping a child in need, please do not hesitate to contact Jeff at jeffp@live.unc.edu.