March 25, 2005
The prosthetic hand on our trip to Vietnam
Ed wrote briefly before about the fact that Michael Mendonca, one of the people on our Vietnam trip, was testing prototypes of a new prosthetic hand.
This effort is a great example of using modern materials to create appropriate technology to solve real human problems. The hand itself is held with simple straps and attaches to the stump of an arm. The hand has two interlocking and opposing sets of fingers that can be moved closer together just by pushing against an object - the fingers ratchet into the tighter position, enabling the user to grip items in the hand. The fingers can be easily released by pushing the release against an object. The material used to coat the gripping surfaces is the same soft plastic commonly used on toothbrushes, giving a good grip.
Michael is one of the owners of Stack Plastics in the Bay area, and he got involved because the designer of the hand was looking for the proper material for the gripping surfaces, and a toothbrush company referred him to Michael. Michael got the Rotary Clubs involved in funding the prototype development, and he brought along several of the prototypes to Vietnam, where lost limbs are all too common, due to land mines and birth defects caused, in part, by the residue of chemical defoliants.
Michael was able to try the prototype hands on several people while in Vietnam - here is his moving description of one event, and some photos of some of the people who received the prototypes:
A four year-old Vietnamese boy was carried into the room by a care taker! The boy had only only 1 limb…I repeat, only 1 limb…a right leg! His right arm was gone just below the elbow and his left arm just above the wrist. His left leg also missing but fitted with a prosthetic. The boy screamed and yelled upon entering the room at the sight of all the prosthetic hands lined up on the table. His care taker took him outside to calm him down. 10 or 15 minutes later the care taker brought him back into the room and again he started right up with the crying and screaming. In a moment of desperation, I decided to give him one of the prosthetic hands and in the same moment I questioned my decision as I wondered whether or not that was such a great idea – I mean, how could a child “play” with such a device by having available to him, only the stubby ends of two arms that aren’t even the same lengths.
I was told once that if the only tools in your tool box are a hammer and a screw driver, then you tend to think of your solutions in terms of how they can be fixed using that hammer and that screwdriver. Well, he did just that. He instantly calmed down and was able to hold the prosthetic hands between the ends of his two arms. He began experimenting with it and in a few short moments, was able to realize how the device worked. With a little help from his care taker, he was also able to fully see how to tighten the digits (fingers) and release them.
He stayed in the room clutching the prosthetic hand and watched while we put hands on several other people. Nearly an hour passed until it was his turn and by that time, he was so ready to have his hand put on that when he and his care taker sat down, he literally reached out his left arm as if to say, “quit fooling around and put this thing on ME!” We did just that and literally within one minute, he had managed to put a marking pen in the hand and for the first time in his life, draw on a piece of paper.
The room was flooded with emotion. How many opportunities do we have in life to be able to impact another person to this extent.
A couple of weeks later I received an e-mail from Vietnam indicating that the boy not only loves and uses his hand, but he doesn’t want to take it off at night when he goes to bed.
Rest well little child, hopefully you can have the same opportunity that we have had and to experience the gift that you have given us.
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