One Clarksville kid received a Christmas gift he will never forget.
Gavin Sumner (11) was born without any fingers, no left foot, and missing 40% of his tongue — something doctors say about babies with that many limbs affected don’t survive.
His family told Gavin they were all going to the mayor’s office because his aunt was receiving an award, but the surprise was actually for Gavin.
It was a 3D printed pair of hands!
Tasks like gripping things, even a water bottle with one hand is something many of us take for granted, but with the gift . . . it was something Gavin would be able to do.
Last year, the 3D printed hands were at the top of Gavin’s Christmas wish list, but his mom, Kori Sumner, didn’t know how to go about getting them.
So, Kori started the quest with a post to Facebook, and eventually was put in touch with Bedstone Creative president Anthony Economos.
Gavin shares, “I was pure happiness . . . And Anthony, the amazing gentleman who made my hands, he tied them all together and it was just a miracle come true.
Of seeing the joy on her child’s face, Kori says, “I can’t even explain the feeling, it was just like perfection. To see on his face the surprise and the joy and to see him hold that bottle for the first time was just nothing short of amazing.”
Having never printed something like this before, Anthony Economos did a test run and quickly realized the pair wouldn’t work as they were.
“[Gavin’s] thumb articulation really interfered with the use of the hands so what they provided off the shelf wasn’t going to work . . . And then we realized, really quickly, that we were maybe a little bit in over our head.”
Modifications, along with trial and error, took about a year to get the final product completed . . . but, it was all worth it!
“I would have to have my friends help me, help get my stuff, help open things. Now that I have these, I’m able to properly be independent on my own,” the 11 year old shares.
Most prosthetic hands can cost upwards of $6,000 . .. but with Anthony’s design and use of a 3D printer, it brings the price down significantly.
Plus, with normal prosthetics, most kids won’t get them because they’re still growing . . . but with the 3D printed ones, it’s a lot more cost effective to add modifications.
“Now that we have Gavin’s files done, we’ll be able to support him as he grows and we’ll be able to print a hand up in a matter of a weekend,” shares Anthony.
After this experience of helping, Anthony decided to start a website called clarksvillehelps.com in hopes to help more people like Gavin.
(Fox 17)
