It’s amazing what people can accomplish when they are truly dedicated – regardless of their age or training.
Two Miami senior high school students have successfully developed prosthetic hands for children in Haiti. The twin brothers, Jonathan and David Tamen, came up with the idea two years ago, and quickly turned their vision into a reality. The boys started a nonprofit called Helping Hands MB and recruited others in their school along the way.
The parts are designed by e-NABLE, an online engineering charity. The organization trained David on how to print and assemble the prosthetic hands, making him the Helping Hands engineer. His brother Jonathan explains, “The biggest challenge with actually assembling the devices is you have to be very precise. It is a medical instrument.” David explains that the prosthetic hand is split into many 3-D models, and each is downloaded and printed individually. After an average of about 18 hours, the parts are finished being printed. With the assistance of the Miami Beach Senior High’s 3D Printing Club, the raw plastic parts are joined together to create the prosthetics. This process usually takes about six hours for each prosthetic hand and forearm. The group of students, with participants from all grades, meet every other week to pursue this project. Although Jonathan and David are graduating at the end of the year, the 3D Printing Club plans to continue meeting.
After production and assembly are complete, the next step is transferring the devices to their users. One shipment of prosthetic hands is already on the way to Haiti, with more planned to be sent in the future.
Despite all the challenges involved, the Tamen twins are proud of what they’ve accomplish and learned along the way. The brothers hope their creations will make everyday tasks easier for disabled children.