Girl receives R2-D2 'bionic arm' and phone call from Luke Skywalker actor
A young Star Wars fan and amputee has received an R2-D2 bionic limb and a phone call from Luke Skywalker himself.
Bella Tadlock, from Tallahassee, Florida, raised almost 14,000 dollars (about £11,000) for her bionic hero arm, created by Bristol company Open Bionics.
The 11-year-old started a fundraiser that first caught the eye of actor Mark Hamill in November - Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars movies, retweeted her appeal to his 3.6 million followers.
Following a successful fundraising campaign, Bella became the first person in the United States to receive the advanced multi-grip arm in the style of R2-D2.
She met her hero, Luke Skywalker, during a Skype call. She demonstrated picking up a bottle with her new hand and exchanged "OK" signs with with Mark Hamill.
The actor told her: "That is great – that is so fantastic. I’m so happy that you were able to have this happen for you."
Hamill, who famously got his own bionic hand as Skywalker, went on to answer lots of fan questions Bella had about the Star Wars universe.
The arm is one of several hero arms manufactured by Bristol company Open Bionics.
British company makes superhero-themed bionic arms for children
Prosthetics company calls for bionic limbs to be available on the NHS
It works by picking up signals from muscles in the residual limb. The company has a royalty-free licensing agreement with Lucasfilm to produce Star Wars cover designs for their bionic arms.
The 11-year-old said she was "so excited" to have two hands:
"I will be able to ride my bike, cook in the kitchen and be like my friends. To be able to bend my fingers and pick things up is a dream come true."
Bella was born without fingers on her right hand and with her left arm shorter than her right.
After several operations, she now has three fingers and a thumb on her right hand, but wanted a non-surgical option for her left hand.
Bella’s mother, Pamela Tadlock, said: "This is completely life-changing. Since Isabella was adopted at a few weeks old she has overcome huge obstacles and endured many surgeries.
"Now she has a hand, with no surgery and no pain. I’m so grateful to Open Bionics and Hanger Clinic. Bella likes Luke Skywalker because he lost a hand and was adopted like her."
Luke Skywalker actor Hamill has been a vocal supporter of Open Bionics and their work with children.
Samantha Payne, Open Bionics co-founder, said: "We’re delighted that Bella loves her new R2-D2 arm, and it’s fantastic that Mark Hamill, who is a role model to limb-different children worldwide, is so proactive in letting these kids know that they have the admiration and support of one of the galaxy’s biggest heroes."
In February a military veteran who lost part of his arm in Afghanistan became the first person to receive a 3D-printed "hero arm" on the NHS.
Darren "Daz" Fuller lost the lower part of his right arm in Afghanistan in 2008 during an incident with mortar ammunition.
The new multi-grip arm was funded through the NHS Veterans' Prosthetics Panel.