Fife Boy "Youngest In World" To Be Fitted With New Bionic Arm
A nine-year-old who was bullied for having only one hand has become the first boy in the UK to be fitted with a new child-sized bionic hand.
Josh Cathcart, from Dalgety Bay in Fife, was tormented by classmates for his disability but now he said he cannot wait to show off his awesome'' new limb to friends at school.
Parents Clare and James told the Press Association how they were motivated to find a solution after Josh became withdrawn and came across Touch Bionics in Livingston.
Touch had just developed the i-limb Quantum, an extra-small version of their prosthetic hand which gives Josh a range of motion.
Josh said: I got it put on about two days ago. It feels quite heavy. I can stick my thumb up. I can make a pinch grip, I can get a grip for cutting with a knife.
I made myself a bagel yesterday. I can open bottles and packets with it, I can stack up blocks, I can build lego with it and I can pull my trousers up.''
Mrs Cathcart said: Josh had been getting picked on and became quite withdrawn and upset, so we started looking for something a bit more advanced, something that moved.
So, we had chats with him and then went on the internet and came across this company.
He was born missing a hand. At first, I didn't really give it much thought to it, but as time went on I blamed myself for it.''
Wiping away tears, she said: Now I can see him with two hands.''
To Josh's visible protestations, she added: It gives him his independence, so he can now make his own food and tidy his own room.''