Ashleigh's bebionic Story.

Ashleigh — a lifelong journey with prosthetics.

Mother of two, Ashleigh was born with limb difference, with her left arm ending just below the elbow. She received her first cosmetic prosthesis at two months old, and around the age of three she was fitted with what she fondly calls her "crocodile arm" — a body-powered prosthesis with a shoulder harness that opened and closed the hand with a snapping motion.

She became one of the youngest users of a myoelectric arm, controlling the hand through her own muscle impulses without a harness. The new arm let her cut up her own food and fostered an early sense of independence. Her parents never forced her to wear a prosthesis but always encouraged her to try new things — a mindset that shaped her resilience for life.

After moving in 2001, ill-fitting sockets stopped Ashleigh from using a myoelectric arm for nearly two decades — she relied on a cosmetic arm only for driving. The birth of her two children changed that. Pushing a stroller one-handed and overcompensating with her right arm took a real toll on her body. She decided it was time to return to a working prosthesis.

After transferring her care, Ashleigh was fitted with a new well-fitted socket and her muscle memory came rushing back. When her clinic introduced her to the bebionic — a multi-grip hand with 14 grips and individual finger motors — even a ten-minute trial was enough to show her the difference a lifelike prosthesis can make. Today the bebionic is part of her everyday life, supporting her as a parent, partner and active human being.