Meningitis survivor from Skipton gets bionic arm
Luke Mortimer contracted Meningitis in 2019 and had to have all four limbs amputated
The sky is the limit for a nine-year-old from Skipton now he's got his first electronic prosthetic.
Luke Mortimer is a quadruple amputee after contracting meningitis and has since needed a wheelchair and prosthetics to be able to move around and perform simple tasks.
Over £200,000 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.
But his family and local community wanted to give Luke the best chance at life and decided to raise money for bionic 'Hero' arms.
The specially-made arms cost £13,000 each; £26,000 in total for two arms.
Now Luke's dream of being able to grasp things properly has become a reality, as they've been able to buy his first Hero arm.
He said:
"They can grasp cups, they can itch your nose and with more than two fingers which is a lot better.
"I've been able to pick things up and it's also helped me to express myself. They're not difficult to control and they don't feel weird. They feel normal"
He was admitted to Airedale Hospital in 2019 after contracting a rare form of the disease 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.
Luke's dad, Adam Mortimer, previously told us he hoped to see him hold a pencil or a ball for the first time since his amputations.
And now he can.
"It's an amazing thing. He had only had them on about 15 minutes and he was picking things up. He probably did more in that first ten minutes of having these arms on than he has ever done," Adam, said.__
"It's so much easier for Luke to do basic tasks with these arms. They work like a proper hand rather than a pincer attachment that the NHS provide.
"Two years ago when they said they were going to amputate his hands, I never thought there was anybody out there who could give him his arms back. The Hero arms have just done that. It's beyond our wildest dreams.
"It's just mindblowing and I can't believe after all this time people are still donating and supporting us."
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.
He added:
"Just because we've got this first arm, it doesn't mean it stops here for us. As Luke keeps growing, we'll need more arms.
"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 £26,000 is £156,000 and that is just for the arms. That's not including wheelchairs or anything else we think he might need in the future.
"We'd do anything to give him the best life we can give him. These will change his life."