Fundraiser to get bionic arms for nine-year-old Skipton quadruple amputee
Luke Mortimer contracted Meningitis in 2019 and had to have all four limbs amputated
Last updated 14th Feb 2022
The family of a Skipton boy who lost all his limbs are hoping to change his life by getting him bionic arms.
Luke Mortimer, nine, was admitted to Airedale Hospital in 2019 after contracting a rare form of meningitis and sepsis.
Unfortunately, tissue on all of his limbs had died meaning doctors had to amputate his arms below the elbow and both legs below the knee in a total of 23 operations.
The youngster spent five months being cared for at Sheffield Children's Hospital following his amputations.
Over ÂŁ200,000 had been raised by family and friends to help give Luke a better quality of life; buying and adapting a bungalow to make it easier for Luke to get around and buying specialist wheelchairs and prosthetics.
The family are determined to take it one step further, by getting bionic arms for Luke so he can perform basic, every day tasks independently.
Luke, said:
"They can grasp cups, they can itch your nose and I can do lots of other things with more than just two fingers which is a lot better. My current prosthetics are quite hard to use as they don't have a lot of dexterity to them and it's hard to hold things like cups."
The specially-made bionic 'Hero' arms the family are looking to get Luke would cost ÂŁ13,000 each; ÂŁ26,000 in total if they were to buy two arms.
WATCH: Luke with and without the bionic arm
But as Luke continues to grow, the arms will no longer fit and need replacing. Specialists say that he'll stop growing at 21 years old so potentially could need six versions of the bionic 'Hero' arms.
Dad, Adam Mortimer, said:
"They can last anywhere between two and five years. Luke is nine and he'll stop growing in twelve years. If we need a pair every other year, that's six pairs at ÂŁ26,000 is ÂŁ156,000 and that is just for the arms. That's not including wheelchairs or anything else we think he might need in the future.
"When we went down to test, his face was just lit up. He was smiling and was really happy. It was almost like he had his hands back which was amazing to watch. It was unbelievable.
"It will mean he'll get his independence back and be able to do things without having to shout for his mum, dad or brother. Simple things that we all take for granted like picking something up and scratching his nose.
"We'd do anything to give him the best life we can give him. These will change his life. I'm hoping he'll be able to hold a pen again. From having someone with him 24/7 to having that independence back".
Luke said he is "overwhelmed" with the support from the local community.
"They actually care about someone who they don't know, who has had a serious disease and survived it. It just makes me really, really happy. Thank you so much".
Friends and family regularly participated in fundraisers to cover the costs of the other prosthetics, but everything was put on hold when the covid-19 pandemic hit.
On Sunday 20th March, KL Fitness and Skipton Roses RUFC are going to attempt to push the weight of Luke (25kg) the distance from KL to RUFC (13,840 metres) in under 4 hours to raise money for Luke's fund.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio previously, Luke's mum, Christine Mortimer, said:
"We would do everything in our power just to enable him to be the same as he was before without him really having to think about it.
"Now he's just busy being a young boy and cracking on with life."
To donate to Luke's fund, click here.