Mike's bebionic Story.

Mike — a game-changing bionic hand.

Mike, 67 from Essex, spent over 30 years as a learning-disability and mental-health nurse. In 2011 he was diagnosed with Spindle cell sarcoma in his left hand. Initially the cancer was found in one finger, which was amputated; soon after, another tumour was found that started spreading up his arm. To prevent further spread, his left arm was amputated below the elbow.

Mike progressed from a cosmetic hand to a hook, then to a single-grip myoelectric hand. In 2017 he had a successful two-week trial of the bebionic multi-grip hand and noticed how much more he could do with it. Years later he received his own bebionic and wrist rotator just before Christmas 2023.

The bebionic offers 14 different grips and hand positions, with individual motors in each finger that allow precise, coordinated control. “Straight away I could see the benefits — getting dressed was much easier. There was less static, so the clothing doesn't stick to it. It seems like such a small thing, but it made an immediate improvement to my life.”

Mike wears his hand as much as possible, setting himself new challenges to master. “I'm currently working on pouring a drink from the bottle and bringing the bottle back to the counter without having to move my shoulder and elbow into an unnatural position.” The bebionic supports the active retirement he had hoped for.