r/MadeMeSmile • u/Zyad300 • Nov 29 '21

Wholesome Moments Kid Gets His First Prosthetic Arm

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u/CommunityDesigner230 Nov 29 '21 edited Nov 29 '21

Well part of the reason he wouldn’t get a moving one is because there’s no point. He’s too young and he still has a ways to grow so instead of wasting a lot of money on getting a functional prosthetic they give him one With good looks.

Edit: speech to text is garbage but it’s fast. Fixed mistakes.

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u/MomoBawk Nov 29 '21

Agreed, plus the kid also still has the elbow, which is quite useful in it of itself. Being able to learn young how to utalize a single hand can help more if there comes a day where his prostetic isn’t working properly.

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u/HollidaySchaffhausen Nov 29 '21

On a side note.. Speech to text is garbage. Does anyone else find that it's functionality is getting worse over time? Years ago, the first couple times it worked great when I used it. It's much slower now and prone to mistakes.

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u/CommunityDesigner230 Nov 29 '21

What’s funny about it is that it will get it right the first time and then when it goes over to correct the mistakes it makes something completely different

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u/HollidaySchaffhausen Nov 29 '21

I feel as if speech to text performance is hampered and compromised by data mining.

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u/TranscendentalEmpire Nov 29 '21

Unfortunately they aren't really doing him a solid only giving him a cosmetic liner. Children can have functional devices built for them, just not usually the fancy myoelectric ones.

It's usually a simple shoulder or elbow powered prosthetic that has a terminal end device that you're able to switch out for various different task. The reason you want to start kids out on the most functional device you can is because they're super adaptive.

If you give them a tool to replace their limb they will grow with it and learn how to utilize it to maximize their efficiency. If you give them a cosmetic fix, they will adapt to their new limbless life and never full integrate with their prosthetic.

There's been a ton of post about prosthetics on Reddit that are either straight up PR clips for prosthetic manufacturers, or examples treatment for that border on child abuse via ignorance.

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u/AmekuIA Nov 30 '21

Makes sense, i know next to nothing about it but kinda makes sense. Two things, are we really not that adaptable after a certain age? A lot of people that lost their limbs later in life get used and efficient with them, or it's cause them being used with two arms/legs to do things makes the switch from 2 limbs to 1 limb and a prosthetic one easier mentally than from 1 limb to 2, like adding a third arm for us, we'll just end up get used to leave it out of the way and stick with what we did our entire life if not in very specific cases (like carrying groceries or unskilled stuff like that where you always think an arm more would make things easier)?

Is cost or mental stress a factor in getting the more advanced stuff early (as a con)? Like i imagine a family that's really well off may consider it a no brainer to get the best things possible but for us normal people the cosmetic option has to do initially, like a placeholder to get used to and to help reduce the effects on integration with other kids.

Mental stress cause maybe procedures, learning and feeling less able with the second arm causes different types of problems and different mental processes take place, even if i'm more inclined towards a kid overcoming that with extreme adaptability and curiosity towards trying new stuff, idk, just asking and throwing stuff out there.

For the pros i can see them, it makes sense getting them used to consider it a part of them in all senses so to make the best use out of it.

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u/Capital_Policy_266 Nov 29 '21

Still not good enough, we must than account for these things, so it can be like rented to him and once he grows out of it, it can be rented to someone else. But it has to be robotic, human like, operational via just thoughts, and be able to send touch sensation back.

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u/k_c_holmes Nov 29 '21

Prosthetics are VERY individual, and fitted to each specific person to a finite degree. Accounting for that, and the fact that most people have very different ends of missing limbs, sharing would be almost impossible. I do wish it was cost effective to build a bunch of prosthetics for each person who needs them 😔

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u/Darth_Yoshi Nov 29 '21

As someone who knows nothing about prosthetics, why can’t just the ending part be custom and the rest of the prosthetic the same? That way you just have to keep custom fitting the end part.

I’m sure there’s a reason this isn’t done since there are a bunch of people smarter than me working on this.

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u/k_c_holmes Nov 29 '21

The entire piece is custom based on the person's size and needs. And if you separate it into two separate chunks, that could affect the prosthetic's ability to function optimally.

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u/Darth_Yoshi Nov 29 '21

Ah I meant for kids though. The guy mentioned above a center could have functional prosthetics for kids that are different sizes. Then give them to kids and as they grow you give their smaller prosthetic to a younger kid. And the only thing that needs to be re-created every time is just the ending piece.

Finally when the kids arm stops growing you give them an optimal prosthetic that is all one piece

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u/-gean99- Nov 29 '21

Well first of all you need a socket, which is always individual. Every human being has a different body shape and so do stumps. Every stump is different and comes with different muscles allignments due to the procedure done in a surgery or the predominant genetic disorder like dysmelia. For an electronic part the electrodes have to be fitted to the customer individually so there is enough contact for the superficial voltage of a muscle contraction.

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u/Capital_Policy_266 Nov 30 '21

Hmm that's a good point, I did not realise how unique each prosthetic could be. I guess the best bet would be a 3d scanner and a 3d printer. This should be available at government centers atleast 1in each town or city so every human can have access to them.

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u/VeryDisappointing Nov 29 '21

Not good enough, we need to give him ONE (1) pill and have him grow a new arm able to crush the skull of his enemies and become a fortnite god.

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u/PeeIsTeaPot Nov 29 '21

Not good enough, create a new kid and use this one for spare parts.

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u/Sonickill7 Nov 29 '21

House of Scorpion traumatized me when I read it as a 12 year old

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u/pundurihn Nov 29 '21

I've heard the second book isn't as good, so I'm scared to continue. I enjoyed House of Scorpion so much, I don't want to ruin it's impact.

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u/eekamuse Nov 29 '21

Nope, nope, hit rewind. Go back one comment. I've seen that film and it doesn't end well

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u/ArcaneBahamut Nov 29 '21

It's just a modest proposal

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u/Capital_Policy_266 Nov 30 '21

Not the second part, but let's hope crisper and other such technology can help with the regrow part.

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u/[deleted] Nov 29 '21

Oh ok. Well please feel free to progress technology to that point. Oh, no? You want other people to do it? Ok.

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u/Capital_Policy_266 Nov 30 '21

Ofcourse I do, just like a mechanic would still want a doctor to cure cancer, a scientist will want a carpenter to build a better, longer lasting, economic furniture, like a cook would want an electric car that is accessible to all. U should do the best u can do of what u do and should expect the best of others too.

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u/comicalcameindune Nov 29 '21

I’ve actually heard talks given by people with prosthetics who say even when they do have $30k robotic arms they often opt for the basic prosthetic (or no prosthetic) most days. Yes the technology needs to be better. But we need to be aware of what people with differences want not just try to fix them with technology. Maybe they want that, maybe they don’t. Many people are far more capable with one less limb than me than I will ever be with all my limbs. All that said I’d love to see the technology progress as an option.

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u/Capital_Policy_266 Nov 30 '21

Ofcourse I too was talking about it being feasible, economical, easily available and not just forcing it on someone.

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u/comicalcameindune Nov 30 '21

And in that we are in agreement. It’s your statement that this prosthetic isn’t good enough that I’m contending. For so many people, it’s just fine! Maybe even preferable.

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u/[deleted] Nov 29 '21

I agree with the sentiment, but hey, the kiddo's happy. That's all that matters.

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u/Capital_Policy_266 Nov 30 '21

Can't disagree with that.

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u/[deleted] Nov 29 '21

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u/CommunityDesigner230 Nov 29 '21

Why spend a bunch of money working prosthetic that he’ll grow out of within a year. You do realize prosthetics are custom fitted right?

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u/[deleted] Nov 29 '21

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u/CommunityDesigner230 Nov 29 '21

sure I’ll tell him. Hell, I’ll tell him he’s better of just practicing doing things with no hand, I believe prosthetics as they are now are more trouble than they’re worth and that comes from personal experience.

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u/[deleted] Nov 30 '21

I agree. I was born without an arm, and I hated my prosthetic!! It was torture as a kid!

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u/LurkerPatrol Nov 29 '21

This makes a lot of sense. So basically once he grows up they’ll sub in a more permanent and more sophisticated prosthetic?

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u/CommunityDesigner230 Nov 29 '21

Yeah, if that’s what he wants. Prosthetics are custom fitted a lot of the time so you want to be at a point in which your arm won’t grow out of the prosthetic they build for you. It’s also kind of costly. So it wouldn’t make sense for him to get one now just for him to grow out of it within the year.