Kansas community college makes prosthetics for children

MANHATTAN, Kan.- A community college is using its 3D printer for good, by helping make prosthetics for young children.

They call the project, “Hand Up.”

When her son Preston was born three years ago, before holding him for the first time, Jamie Bundy asked something many new parents do.

“You ask does he have 10 fingers and 10 toes. And that was a pause,” said Bundy.

A pause because baby Preston was born with a limb difference called symbrachydachtyly.

His right hand was fully formed, but his left was not.

“My biggest thing in my head was that kids are going to make fun of him. Kids are cruel. Kids are mean,” said Bundy.

Now, three years later, Preston is getting a new hand in whatever color he wants.

“I want it to be orange,” said Preston Bundy.

It’s all possible due to Independence Community College’s “Fab Lab.” A technology lab with the ability to create almost any object out of plastic.

“We never dreamed that we’d have a chance to do anything like this, really,” said director Jim Correll.

After successfully making one hand in October, they wanted to help make more.

The hand works when muscle movement in the arm and wrists pull the electric strings and move the fingers.

While prosthetic hands can cost several thousand dollars…

“These hands that we’re making today are probably maybe $20 or $25 dollars worth of plastic and then maybe $5 or $10 dollars worth of hardware,” said Correll.

A new hand for less than $40 that can help Preston do anything he wants to.

“We are amazed at the things that he can do with his hand that we didn’t think he would ever be able to do,” said Bundy.