Boy, 7, Surprised with Awesome Star Wars Prosthetic Arm

By LIZ NEPORENT

HT liam star wars arm 03 jef 150113 16x9 992 resized 600

Just like Luke Skywalker, 7-year-old Liam Porter of Augusta Georgia has been given a brand new arm.

Porter, who was born without the lower part of his left arm, was recently surprised with a prosthetic arm modeled after the Imperial Clone Troopers in Star Wars.

“Liam wants it made clear it is a Clone Trooper not a Storm Trooper arm,” said his mother Ryan Porter.

In the Star Wars movies, Clone Troopers are the good guys and Storm Troopers are evil.

Porter used to have a traditional prosthesis but it was boring and clunky, John Peterson, the limb’s designer said. The boy thinks the new arm is not only “extremely awesome,” it’s lighter and easier to move. It has a clamp on it and a rail system to slide different attachments on and off. As he grows, the arm can be adjusted.

Porter’s space-age appendage was a arranged by E-nable, a global network of volunteers who 3D print mechanical hands and arms for kids in need then give them away for free.

Jon Schull, E-nable’s founder, is also a research scientist at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He said the group pairs each child with a “maker” who takes a basic prosthetic design and customizes it.

Peterson went above and beyond, Schull noted.

“I believe this is the first Clone Trooper arm we’ve done,” Schull said.

The arm took about three months to make and cost about $300, according to Peterson. The price tag for a typical prosthetic arm is upwards of $9,000, Schull pointed out.

In its first year, E-nable has given away more than 700 arms and hands. Members of 501st Georgia Garrison, a group of people who dress up as Storm (and Clone) Troopers, presented Porter with his at a surprise ceremony held at a local movie theater.

“He was actually speechless, which for him is a rarity,” his mom said. “It’s amazing John donated his time and own money to make this happen, just to see the joy on my son’s face.”

Source: http://abcnews.go.com

Recent Posts

How Volunteering Can Lead to a Career in Nursing
For many Nurses, the decision to pursue nursing did not begin in a classroom. It often began with a volunteer badge, a willingness to help, and early exposure to patient care environments....
Read More
FNU President Receives 2026 Trailblazer in Higher Education Award
Versailles, Ky. — Frontier Nursing University (FNU) President Brooke A. Flinders, DNP, RN, APRN-CNM, FACNM, was recently named a recipient of Insight Into Academia magazine’s 2026 Trailblazer in...
Read More
Frontier Nursing University Unveils $20 Million Student Scholarship Investment
Scholarship increase to help educate nurse-midwives and advanced practice nurses amid nationwide healthcare shortages. Versailles, Ky. — The Frontier Nursing University (FNU) Board of Directors has...
Read More

Subscribe to Email Our Newsletter

Education_Award_Square