The BIG HERO 3 2024 UK

After 2 very successful BIG HERO 3 campaigns we are excited to launch another.

The aim of this crowdfunding campaign is to raise £60k for 3 children to receive a Hero Arm each!!!

With the support of The Open Bionics Foundation, Foresight Group and an anonymous donor we have already raised £40k towards their Hero Arms. The children now need to crowdfund together for the final £20k.

We are so grateful to everyone involved in making these kids dreams come true :)

In the past we have smashed or target within 39 days. Can we beat it?

Meet the families

Noah

Noah’s Bio

My name is Noah and I will be 12 in April, I have 2 dogs called: Harry and Reggie and I live in Worcestershire.

I love to play sports. My favourite sport is football and I support the best team in the world Aston Villa. Also, I’m in a football team called Worcester United, I have been part of my team for two years and I also play football at school. I play in different positions, but I love playing centre forward and in goal. I also enjoy cooking, my favourite thing to cook is spicy pasta bake.

This hero arm will help me with lots of things, like carrying a range of things, doing my tie for school, doing up my buttons and plenty of other things that I need to do on a daily basis.

This Hero arm will make my life easier by giving me more confidence and having loads of positive attention about my difference. I also think it will help educate my friends, family and people that I know about differences and advances in technology to make peoples lives better / easier.

The hero arm will also make school life a lot easier. As well as that it will help with homework and general house chores, that I do every day.

It would mean the world to me if you could donate to this campaign to help me, along with Brooklyn and Vinnie to have a hero arm!

Thank you

Brooklyn

A message from Brooklyn's mum

In 2008 my life changed. I had a purpose in life I couldn't believe I was going to be a mum for the first time, still young myself I couldn't wait.Every scan was 'normal' and the pregnancy went really well. I was told I was having a boy and that they could see his hand waving during the scan.He arrived safe and well but was soon scooped away from me which I thought is obviously what happens.

After a short while they brought my baby back wrapped in blankets yet my midwife had sadness in her eyes as she told me everything is going to be ok and not to worry (worrying is what I do best)! I was told he had problems with both hands. I initially thought ok....so maybe it's the fact they were bent maybe...Could that even happen!? The midwife explained that he had an absent right hand and the left hand hadn't developed as it should resulting in leaving him with a missing finger having a present thumb, index finger and the other two fingers conjoined at an angle.

Within a few days we were seen by many specialist doctors and consultants. They realised that all limbs were not as they should be this was noted as a form of Ectrodactyly a rare genetic disorder.

He has and still is undergoing many operations to his feet and legs to make his life a little easier.

There were so many questions I had regarding what we would do.

Brooklyn continues to amaze me everyday with all he has achieved with his braveness and determination.Brooklyn really enjoys going out on his bike with friends, spending time gaming, swimming and just generally being a teenager!

Myself and Brooklyn believe that as he has had no aids to help him through life so far and has just managed with help along the way with assistance when needed. This opportunity for the Hero Arm will benefit him in many ways. Despite the obvious of the Hero arm looking amazing but being able to hold object's within both hands and being able to complete daily tasks with ease. As Brooklyn is close to his working life we feel this couldn't have come at a better time where many opportunities can be made to enroll him into the career he would love without any setbacks and to be just like others. Hopefully this will give him confidence to help him succeed in life.

Vinnie

A message from Vinnie's mum

Vinnie was born at 27 weeks via an emergency c section, 13 weeks premature and weighing a teeny 880grams. He was born with an infection, an under developed right hand and couldn’t breathe on his own. He was taken straight to NICU. This is where he spent the next 5 and a half months of his life, hooked up to machines, oxygen and having blood transfusions. He was stuck on oxygen until he was 1 years old.

Despite a very rocky start, being the little warrior that he is, he never gave up. He is now 10 years old and is the most adventurous little boy, will try absolutely anything even though he might struggle with his hand, he still has a go. He loves football, jujitsu, wrestling, computer games and riding his bike. He’s so lucky to have this opportunity to be chosen for the Big Hero 3, it’s literally life changing.

Since he was very small he’s always asked if his hand will grow, and it’s heartbreaking explaining to him that it won’t. This opportunity will allow him to get as close as he can to having two functional hands. It will give him more confidence and independence. We’re so amazed to be chosen.

Donations are being raised through The Open Bionics Foundation and every donation will be split equally between the 3 children in this campaign. Thank you in advance for your contribution.

The Open Bionics Foundation provides financial support to socioeconomically deprived people with limb differences who need multi-grip upper limb prosthetics.