Malcolm Taylor doesn乌鸦传媒檛 mind talking about his arm.
You乌鸦传媒檙e not going to bring up anything the 14-year-old from the rural southern Vancouver Island community of Cobble Hill hasn乌鸦传媒檛 already heard.
乌鸦传媒淚 have had every kind of question,乌鸦传媒� he assures.
A Grade 9 student at Frances Kelsey Secondary School, Taylor was born with just one hand, his left arm ending just a little bit above the elbow. Last year, he was fitted with a myoelectric arm, which can sense muscle impulses and allows him to open and close the hand simply by flexing the muscles in his residual limb.
Taylor has had different non-electrical prosthetics in the past, and a previous electrical one, but this is the best one he乌鸦传媒檚 ever had. It乌鸦传媒檚 not quite state-of-the-art, he says, but it乌鸦传媒檚 the best in terms of price and functionality.
The arm was paid for by the War Amps CHAMP program. The War Amps began more than 100 years ago to assist war amputee veterans returning from the First World War. It has expanded its programs over the years to support all amputees.
乌鸦传媒淭hey pay for all my prosthetics,乌鸦传媒� Taylor points out. 乌鸦传媒淚t makes life a lot easier.乌鸦传媒�
Taylor received his current prosthetic about six months ago after working with beta versions before that. The process involved having a cast taken from his arm, getting the prosthetic custom-fitted, and having the electrodes fine-tuned. The work is done by a prosthesist, and isn乌鸦传媒檛 invasive.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 no surgery,乌鸦传媒� Taylor explains. 乌鸦传媒淚 can take it on and off at any time.乌鸦传媒�
The many steps were worth it for the new arm.
乌鸦传媒淚 can do a lot more things than I could with the other one,乌鸦传媒� Taylor says.
The myoelectric arm allows for gripping motions that Taylor乌鸦传媒檚 previous prostetics didn乌鸦传媒檛, like grabbing a stick.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e tried throwing things but with little success,乌鸦传媒� he says, adding that would change with practice. It definitely makes a difference that he grew up without a hand.
乌鸦传媒淚t would probably be easier for someone who has had a hand before to get the hang of it,乌鸦传媒� he says.
Taylor乌鸦传媒檚 previous prosthetics didn乌鸦传媒檛 have nearly as much going for them.
乌鸦传媒淗ave you seen a hook hand in a pirate movie?乌鸦传媒� he asks. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not inaccurate.乌鸦传媒�
He couldn乌鸦传媒檛 have picked up a medical face mask with the old one, for example. And the new one works well enough that he doesn乌鸦传媒檛 have to put one thing down to pick another up.
乌鸦传媒淚t takes away that extra step that乌鸦传媒檚 always annoying,乌鸦传媒� he says.
Taylor will have to get a new prosthetic, eventually, but he can probably get this one refitted before that happens.
乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e supposed to be very tight,乌鸦传媒� he relates. 乌鸦传媒淪o you grow out of them really quickly.乌鸦传媒�
Other kids at school definitely approve of this one.
乌鸦传媒淭hey think it乌鸦传媒檚 really cool,乌鸦传媒� Taylor says.
Not only is he not shy about discussing the arm, he admits he may even show off from time to time.
乌鸦传媒淚 can punch walls,乌鸦传媒� he says with a mischievous laugh. 乌鸦传媒淪o I do that occasionally.乌鸦传媒�
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