British army servant Darren ‘Daz’ Fuller, who lost his right forearm and hand in a mortar misfire in Helmand province of Afghanistan 10 years ago, has become the first military serviceman to get a 3-D printed multi-grip Hero Arm.
Daz, 43, says it was “immensely difficult” to recover from the trauma but after getting the new arm, he has got a “new lease of life,” adding that his new arm is “incredible.”
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The prosthetic Daz got is produced by Open Bionics, a Bristol-based firm, and is marketed as the “Hero Arm.”
It is made using a state-of-the-art 3D printing process and is said to give the amputee a level of dexterity not possible before it.
This bionic arm is programmed to work based on the signals generated by Daz’s nerve fibers in the distal end of his arm. The sensors pick up the signals and convert them into rational hand movements.
The new hand has enabled Daz to hold his daughter’s hand for the first time in his right hand and use a fork and knife just like normal people after a decade.
Daz said: “I can now do so many of the little things that most people take for granted – I’m so happy.
“I can hug my daughter and play games with her in a way I have never been able to before, it’s amazing. There are so many things I’m doing two handed compared to before, and so many things I’m still discovering.
“It’s a really exciting time.”
Daz, from Colchester, Essex, lives with his wife and four-year-old daughter Sky. He started his military career from Parachute Regiment in 1994 and served for nearly 20 years.
Before the unfortunate incident on his final tour to Afghanistan in 2008, Daz served in Macedonia, Northern Ireland, and Iraq.
At the time of the unlucky incident, Daz was serving as a section commander and was operating an army weaponry when a bombshell went off and took his hand and forearm with it.
Daz said: “I ducked as the mortar went off and then looked down to see half my arm was missing, there was blood everywhere.
“I wasn’t in a huge amount of pain, I was just thinking, ‘will I see my girlfriend and son ever again, will I survive?’
“It was such a surreal moment because even though you’re a serviceman you think losing a limb isn’t the kind of thing that will ever happen to you.”
Daz thought he’d die immediately but luckily, he didn’t. In the months to come, he had a hard time accepting what had happened to him.
He recalled: “I had a range of different emotions as time wore on but eventually I accepted the situation I found myself in and moved on.
“It wasn’t easy because I was right-handed, so I had to learn how to do everything all over again with my left, which was a huge challenge.”
Over the last 12 years, Daz tried a range of different prosthetic options but none of them worked up to the mark until this bionic arm.
He said: “The functionality is absolutely amazing, I can make the smallest movements with it.
“I’ve tried all sorts of prosthetics over the years and the Bionic Arm is by far and away the best of the lot – it’s absolutely brilliant.
“I really believe it’s going to improve my life massively.”
Thanks to the Hero Arm, Daz can now play games and paint with his daughter.
The prosthetic was funded by the NHS Veterans’ Prosthetics Panel, which is a helping platform for servicemen who have lost a limb in the line of duty.
For civilians, the cost of the Hero Arm is $13,000.
Daz also got support from Blesma, a charity started by a limbless veteran. He now works as an outreach officer for the organization.
Daz said: “Hopefully I’m the first veteran of many to receive a Hero Arm. There are many others like me who could really benefit from such an amazing prosthetic.”
Replaced!