- Title: Bionic girl realizes her dream to ride her bike
- Date: 16th October 2019
- Summary: AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 29, 2019) (REUTERS) MADY WALKING DOWN HER DRIVEWAY AND MINDY PUSHING A BIKE MINDY TURNING ON THE BIONIC ARM AS MADY SITS ON HER BIKE MADY RIDING OFF ON BIKE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MELINDA "MINDY" GARDNER, MOTHER OF MADY, SAYING: "Proudest mom moment with her? You know I think riding the bike, she was most successful riding the bike and so doing that the first time was like You know I definitely got (inaudible)... Such a cry baby. But yeah, it was pretty cool to see her ride her bike for the first time sitting straight up." VARIOUS OF MADY RIDING HER BIKE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MADELINE "MADY" GARDNER, 8-YEAR-OLD RECIPIENT OF BIONIC ARM, SAYING: "My most exciting moment is when I learned how to ride my bike. Because at first I was really scared to ride my bike with my arm and then it's a lot of fun, because I accept straight and tall. And, so when I'm done, I can put my arm in the basket." MADY CLIPPING ON HER BIONIC ARM MADY SWITCHING ON HER BIONIC ARM MADY SPOONING FLOUR FROM A BOWL INTO A MEASURING CUP BIONIC HAND HOLDING THE MEASURING CUP BIONIC HAND EMPTYING THE MEASURING CUP INTO A BOWL MADY TIPPING A CUP OF FLOUR INTO A BOWL USING HER BIONIC ARM MADY PICKING UP AN EGG AND PLACING IT IN HER BIONIC HAND BIONIC HAND GRASPING AN EGG MADY CRACKING AN EGG AGAINST A BOWL USING HER BIONIC HAND MADY PLACING A BAKING DISH IN THE OVEN AS HER MOTHER OPENS THE DOOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) MADELINE "MADY" GARDNER, 8-YEAR-OLD RECIPIENT OF BIONIC ARM, SAYING: "I wear it like a couple times a week and the times when I really want to try something new. Like my hair up or ride a bike or jump rope or bake a cake. Because it's really fun and I like trying new things." VARIOUS OF MADY JUMPING WITH A SKIPPING ROPE (SOUNDBITE) (English) STEPHEN GARDNER, FATHER OF MADY, SAYING: "And we actually when she was first born, you know Mindy and I spent many nights dreading and saying all the things that we were afraid that she wasn't going to be able to do. And on every single occasion she's proved us wrong. She can do anything. And if she has any troubles with it she always finds a way and she has endurance to get it done. But you know the arm is just a little extra something to help in the conversations with people. Instead of becoming what happened to your arm it becomes wow that's a really cool device you got there and how does that work and what can you do with it. It can change the whole conversation. MADY LOOKING IN A VANITY BOX FOR NAIL VARNISH MADY TAKES OUT A PINK NAIL VARNISH MADY PAINTS NAILS ONTO THE BIONIC HAND VARIOUS OF MADY PAINTING THE BIONIC HAND MADY WEARING THE BIONIC ARM WITH PAINTED NAILS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MELINDA "MINDY" GARDNER, MOTHER OF MADY, SAYING: "Awesome. All right let me have my moment. Super awesome yeah. Just it's nice to see her. Well she's super open right? She wants to do new things." MADY SHOWING HER PAINTED ARM TO HER MOTHER IN THE KITCHEN, HER MOTHER CAN BE HEARD SAYING: "It's really awesome it matches perfectly." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MELINDA "MINDY" GARDNER, MOTHER OF MADY, SAYING: "It's been really cool. Sammy (Samantha Payne, Open Bionics co-founder) was the one who gave her the term Bionic Mady and she has loved that and embraced it and we have been really happy that we've reached as many people as we've had to learn about differences and accept differences as kind of the new normal. And it is. And so the more awareness that we can spread that, you know, everybody is who they are regardless of how they show up, is exactly what our message is." (SOUNDBITE) (English) MADELINE "MADY" GARDNER, 8-YEAR-OLD RECIPIENT OF BIONIC ARM, SAYING: "It makes me feel really good because I know that other people really like that I'm different." MADY THROWING AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL MADY'S FATHER CATCHING AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL MADY'S FATHER HOLDING AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL MADY CATCHING AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL
- Embargoed: 30th October 2019 08:51
- Keywords: Hero Arm innovation 3D printing Open Bionics Austin bionic limb Bionic Mady girl Texas Bionic arm
- Location: AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- City: AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Health/Medicine,Editors' Choice
- Reuters ID: LVA001B1CJ5UJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Madeline "Mady" Gardner can finally do all the things most eight-year-olds take for granted like ride a bike, bake a cake and skip rope thanks to her new bionic arm.
Mady was born without her left arm below the elbow but now has a sleek prosthetic that allows her to do almost anything.
The "Hero Arm" is billed as the world's first multi-grip bionic arm for children as young as 8-years-old and was developed by British company Open Bionics, which recently launched in the U.S.
Mady, who lives in Austin, Texas, was the youngest person in the United States to receive a Hero Arm when she took delivery of hers in July. Since then she has been testing the device at home. It's allowed her to ride her bike in her neighbourhood, bake a cake with her mother and play American football with her dad.
For mother, Mindy, it's been an emotional time seeing her daughter get to grips with her new arm.
"Proudest mom moment with her? You know I think riding the bike...it was pretty cool to see her ride her bike for the first time sitting straight up," Mindy said.
Mady agrees the best thing she has been able to do so far is ride her bike upright: "My most exciting moment is when I learned how to ride my bike. Because at first I was really scared to ride my bike with my arm and then it's a lot of fun, because I sat up straight and tall. And, so when I'm done, I can put my arm in the basket."
Mady's father is equally excited about all of her new-found independence but is also happy his daughter can look forward to some anonymity.
"The arm is just a little extra something to help in the conversations with people. Instead of becoming 'what happened to your arm?' it becomes wow that's a really cool device you got there and how does that work and what can you do with it. It can change the whole conversation," said Stephen Gardner.
Each Hero Arm is custom-made in Bristol, England using technologies including 3D printing and 3D scanning. The outer shell can be custom-made to the wearer's liking with different colours and patterns worked into the design.
Manufacturer Open Bionics says while every arm is unique and different, the cost for the device and fitting is typically half the price of their nearest competitors. It is covered by healthcare systems in major western countries, such as the UK, U.S., Germany and France.
(Production: Sarah Duffy) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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