Boy, 7, to get robotic arm - thanks to £13,000 mystery donation

Seven-year-old Louie Morgan-Kemp was born without a right arm. A mystery donor has helped him fund a robotic arm. Credit: ITV Anglia

The family of a boy born without a right arm has been given thousands of pounds by a mystery donor who was touched by their story.

Louie Morgan-Kemp, 7, from Cambridgeshire is fundraising with his parents to try and raise the money to buy a prosthetic called the 'Hero Arm'.

But just days after they launched their fundraising page, a mystery donor offered the full £13,000 needed to buy the arm.

Hannah Morgan, Louie's mother, said: "It's amazing, we don't know what to say. We can't thank them enough."

The teaching assistant from Swavesey said the arm would allow Louie to carry out everyday tasks which he currently can't, like pouring his own drink without spilling it, and carrying objects in two hands and not have to balance items against his chest.

The family, speaking just after the donation, said they didn't know who the mystery benefactor was - and it helped them to exceed their total by £5,000.

Hannah said: "Never thought in a million years that someone would donate all £13,000."

Louie's father Scott Kemp said: "It's a bit of a relief that the money is there now, it's a dream and it's coming true. It's going to be really good for Louie."

The 'hero-arm' allows people to grip, unlike most prosthetics Credit: Open bionics

The 'Hero Arm', made by Bristol-based firm Open Bionics, allows people who are below-elbow amputees to grip using special sensors which read muscle movements. They can then mimic hand movements with precision.

Ms Morgan first inquired about the arm when Louie was two, but was told it's not available to children until they're seven.

"He's always been really resilient and he's made most things work one-handed or he's found his own way to do things, but he was meant to be right-handed," she said.

"We've tried loads of different prosthetics, NHS ones, charity-funded ones, they didn't work for him. The NHS one was like a mannequin hand that didn't do anything, and the charity ones were quite heavy for him."

Louie, who saw the arm at a roadshow last month, said the arm would "make me have more confidence".

His mother said he "wants the Ironman sleeve".


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