Alex Pring has lived his life with only one full arm. The Lake County six year old was born that way. But Alex says he’s gotten tired of everyone asking why he only has one arm.
“He’s gotten to an age where he wanted something after seeing a family member get some prosthetics pretty quick,” said Alex’s mom, Alyson Pring.
But for children who are constantly growing, prosthetic limbs are very expensive, and usually not covered by insurance because they have to be updated and replaced so often.
But an online volunteer network linked Alex’s family to UCF grad student Albert Manero.
Manero and more than a dozen other UCF engineering students used what they’ve learned in school to build the arm – in their own spare time.
“What my parents taught me growing up is that if you had the type of education and resources to do so, it’s really our responsibility, and that’s the role of the university is to give back,” said Albert Manero.
The students created Alex’s new arm using a 3D printer.
When Alex flexes his upper arm muscles – it sends electric signals to the prosthetic arm which makes it move.
The UCF students put the new arm on Alex Friday. And for the first time ever – he can give his mom and dad a hug with two arms.
And the six year old is finding it useful for other things.
“I can shake two people’s hands at once,” Alex Pring joked.
And thanks to the UCF student’s putting their blueprints for the arm online, their creation can be replicated for other children all over the world.
The UCF students used commonly found materials, and say the artificial limb only cost them $350. That’s just a tiny fraction of what children’s prosthetic limb would normally cost, which can be up to about $40,000.