Did you know that a printer can make an artificial hand? Well, a 3D printer can, thanks to some very innovative technology. I had the pleasure of connecting with some New Jersey-based members of a group called e-NABLE (www.enablingthefuture.org) who have a sub-group of their membership who are working on providing prosthetic arms and hands to amputees in Haiti. I met them through a friend of a friend of a friend who asked me if I could help a young man here in Jérémie who had suffered an arm amputation as a result of an electrocution accident last year. His name is Jethro and he goes to the Baptist church that we attend in downtown Jérémie. He is a firm believer and always gives witness to the Lord’s work in his life.
Our friend Jethro who lost his left arm and badly damaged his right hand in an electrocution accident last year.
Last week we had a visit from Elinor Meeks and Dante Varotsis from the e-NABLE Haiti group and we met at the Baptist church in Jérémie with 5 young men who were arm amputees in need of prosthetic arms.
Gemi Baptiste, our Community Coordinator registers two of the patients
Cherlie helps with registration as we meet with patients in the Baptist church in Jérémie
Dante measures a patient and checks his shoulder motion in order to help design a prosthetic arm for him.
The E-NABLE group had some hands and arms to show the group and discussed the technology, which is basically using a 3D printer to build plastic parts that are put together to form a prosthetic hand or arm. It was a fascinating meeting and the potential recipients were thrilled with the idea that they might someday receive a prosthesis.
Table filled with various 3D printed artificial hands.
We are grateful for this visit from Dante and Elinor and look forward to future visits from them and others on the e-NABLE Haiti team. In the meantime, we are putting out the word to find other patients who can benefit from this innovative technology.