Five-Year-Old Breaks Record With Bionic Arm

Quick Smiles:

• Jordan Marotta, a five-year-old boy, has become the youngest individual ever to be fitted with a bionic arm.
• In just a few hours after receiving his “Hero Arm” prosthetic, Jordan took his scooter for a ride, fully utilizing the life-like grip of the prosthesis.
• Ashley Marotha, Jordan’s mother, found strength in stories of others in similar situations and never lost hope, leading to this moment of triumph for her son.

A triumph in technological advancement and a beacon of hope for many, Jordan Marotta, a five-year-old boy, sets a new record by becoming the youngest person ever to be fitted with a bionic arm. Moments of unbridled joy soon followed as Jordan, now equipped with his Iron-Man-themed ‘Hero Arm’ prosthetic, took his scooter out for a spin.

“It’s really fun and it’s cool,” said Jordan. “I like to play with the hand and make it open and close.” His simple expression of joy encapsulates the delight of a young boy who can now engage with the world using his new prosthetic arm.

When Jordan began asking questions about his missing limb, his mother, Ashley Maratha, reached out to Open Bionics, the manufacturers of the prosthetics. Despite initial worries about his age, the company allowed Jordan to trial an arm. This successful trial opened up new possibilities and subsequently led to his fitting two years earlier than most children.

The moment they left with Jordan’s Hero Arm, he was full of confidence, Ashley recalls. “He was running around, trying to hail New York taxis,” she says, beaming with pride and joy. “You can’t even put a number on how amazing that is. It’s worth its weight in gold. The first thing he wanted to do when he got home was ride his scooter— to finally hold on with two hands.”

Jordan is a hero in his own right, with an inspirational message for us all: “Don’t give up. Just don’t give up.”

Upon learning about Jordan’s limb difference during her pregnancy, Ashley found comfort in hearing about other children thriving in similar situations.

“No child is ‘perfect’, but you hear the expression all the time, ‘ten fingers and ten toes’, and you don’t really know what that means until you have to,” shares Ashley. She conducted extensive research and found numerous resources that helped prepare her for Jordan’s arrival.

When Jordan became more inquisitive about his limb difference, Ashley reached out to Open Bionics, a UK-based company. Regardless of the distance, Ashley was resolved to explore all possibilities for her son.

Despite the challenges, Ashley viewed this as an opportunity and believed in her son’s strength. She also convinced the prosthetic specialists of her son’s physical capacity: “Jordan is on the bigger side for his age. So I really sold them on his muscles.”

The journey, however, didn’t end there. With the prosthetic arm now a part of Jordan’s life, Ashley was amazed at how quickly her son was adapting. “I sent a video of him, and they said ‘I can’t believe how quickly he’s picking it up’.”

This story of resilience, optimism, and innovation serves as a lesson to us all that limitations can be overcome when we refuse to give up. So, in the words of young Jordan Marotta, “Don’t give up. Just don’t give up.”

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