A British teenager born without a right hand needs to raise £13,000 to change her life. The funds will enable 15 year-old Keeley Bexton to have a bionic arm fitted ,which her mum says will boost her confidence, allow her to fulfil her dream of learning to play the guitar and allow her to pursue a career as a lawyer.
BirminghamLive reports that Keeley's mum Michelle has now launched a GoFundMe appeal to raise the £13,000 that is needed for her daughter to have a 'Hero Arm' fitted.
"When she was born I was so scared to touch her," Michelle told Birmingham Live. "She was about one when she had her first NHS prosthetic arm, just as people were staring.
"As she's grown up we've had to have a few adaptions. She's suffered a lot."
Not only is this Hero Arm going to help her physically, it's going to help her tremendously mentally as well
Birmingham Live reports that the Wolverhampton has been unable to have a Hero Arm funded on the National Health Service, so her mum has now been advised to follow the crowdfunder route to help change Keely's life.
"She's now been home-schooled for eight months, she struggled at school," says Michelle. "She previously had an arm fitted so she could grab things but it had a strap around her and gave her a rash and burnt her."
"It would help in her career, she wants to be a lawyer and she wants to play the guitar, it would really help with day-to-day things as well," adds Michelle.
It's also hope that the Hero Arm will help Keeley's mental wellbeing.
"She's gone down, we're now homeschooling her and she doesn't go out with anybody, she doesn't have friends outside. She is a loner and I know, not only is this Hero Arm going to help her physically, it's going to help her tremendously mentally as well."
Hero Arms are built by UK company Open Bionics. They take a 3D scan of the patient before making the bionic arm and sensors within it detect a person's muscle movements for precise reactions.
For more information visit Birmingham Live and to donate towards funding Keeley's Hero Arm visit Gofundme
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