Man left disabled grabs his chance of new hand

Mike Swainger, from Hull, was just 13 when he lost his right arm and leg in a horrific accident in 1992 when he was hit by a train while playing with friends.

Now, after being picked as the first person to receive the UK’s most advanced medical technology, he said the best thing of all was being able to walk down the street hand-in-hand with his youngest daughter Jodie, six.

Mr Swainger, 33, who has two other children, Billy, 17, and Ellie, 15, and is engaged to Claire Palmer, 33, said the battery-powered myo-electric bebionic3 hand, which has been developed by Leeds-based RSLSteeper, has given him a new lease of life.

“It has changed my life immeasurably. Having a bionic hand that actually works like a real hand is such a confidence booster,” he said. “It encourages you to take on different tasks and is a great ice breaker. I’ve heard little children in the street saying ‘Look, it’s a robot’.

“The best thing was when my youngest child, Jodie, held the bionic hand in the street without batting an eyelid. My family are over the Moon.”

The arm consists of two electrodes in a socket, with one connected to his bicep and the other linked to his tricep. Electronic impulses from the muscles and nerve endings create a current, which triggers the “Terminator-style” hand.

If Mr Swainger tenses his bicep, the hand closes and if he tenses his tricep, it opens.

He only found out about the possibilities of a bionic hand after carrying out some research and then approached RSLSteeper, which produces hi-tech prosthetics and orthotics, and assistive aids, 
offering to be a “guinea pig” for them.

He was told the technology was in the very early stages and was more often used abroad or in the private sector, rather than the NHS.

But six months ago, after undergoing checks to test the signals in his arm, Mr Swainger was told he was to be the first person to receive the hand in the UK.

Now he can go fishing, take part in new sports and perform 
the everyday tasks that many 
people consider mundane, such as tying shoelaces, opening a packet of crisps, or even shaking hands.

“I used to struggle with opening an envelope and taking a letter out, or closing the car door once I’d got in,” he added.

Mr Swainger was initially in a wheelchair after his accident, but was soon fitted with artifical limbs. He now wants his experience to inspire other people who are in a similar situation.

“Being an amputee can be so daunting and accepting the 
disability is often the toughest thing.”

Paul Steeper, managing director of the products division at Hunslet-based RSLSteeper, said: “Thanks to people like Mike, were are able to make constant improvements to the design making it stronger, more precise and easier to programme.”

“The new hand is helping Mike to tackle real-life, everyday situations, and provides the perfect balance between advanced technology, functionality and aesthetics.”

Julia Mizon, of the NHS Hull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which funded the hand, said: “Helping people to remain as fit as possible to enjoy the best quality of life is a main priority for the NHS.

“I am delighted to learn the hand has made such a profound difference.”