Hello, my name is Katie Richards and I am 19 years old.

I was born with a congenital condition on my left hand, meaning that my fingers and hand didn’t develop correctly in the womb. At the age of 1, my ‘fingers’ were surgically removed as they couldn’t function like regular fingers, putting me at risk of injury to my underdeveloped limb.

I have grown up without the use of a left hand, and because of this there were multiple opportunities I had to miss out on because of my limb difference, such as Go Karting, Residential trips with schools and enjoying video games to their fullest potential.

Because I grew up with a limb difference, I was often taunted that I was the only person in my school with one hand and that I was considered “Strange” because of it. This has left me feeling very self-conscious about my limb difference.

I have been given the opportunity to have a myloelectric “Hero Arm” custom made to fit me by Open Bionics.

They have helped hundreds of people across the UK and US with their limb difference by designing prosthetic arms tailored to the wearer’s arm size and build, meaning that every arm made is unique to that individual alone. I had confirmation that I am eligible for a Hero Arm after the initial assessment.

Before the arm can be constructed, I will need to pay the cost of the materials putting my arm together. I cannot pay this by myself as my job doesn’t pay enough to put money towards the arm as well as necessities like groceries, which is why I’m asking if people reading this are able to help contribute money towards my Hero Arm funding.

All the money raised in this fund will be sent directly to The Open Bionics Foundation, a charity that will hold the money and transfer it to Open Bionics to construct the arm once it’s been paid off in full.

Any type of support is welcome and appreciated, whether it’s donating money or sharing the link to the GoFundMe to social media. I will be forever grateful if you are able to help contribute towards helping me get my prosthetic, as it means I can be proud of my limb difference and be able to try experiences I’ve typically been held back from.

Thank you

Katie xx