Creating a Helping Hand

RecordStaffJune 4, 2018Last Updated: June 4, 2018

2 minutes read

Central Mountain junior, Shane Scanlan and senior Shae Cole explain to Isaiah how they made him a prosthetic arm with a hand and how it works. L-R: Kendra, Isaiah’s sister, Chelsea Miller, Shane Scanlan and Shae Cole, in the foreground, Isaiah looks at his new hand.

MILL HALL – Central Mountain senior Shae Cole and junior Shane Scanlan have taken their education through STEM learning and classes with instructor Fred Hoy to the next level. Recently the two presented Mill Hall first grader, Isaiah Slaterbeck with a prosthetic hand that they designed specifically for him. Cole and Scanlan researched the project, measured Isaiah’s arm, designed the device, and produced it using filament and a 3D printer located in Hoy’s room at Central Mountain High School. “The students needed to measure the arm and design a cuff that would be proportionate to Isaiah’s arm” said Hoy.

Isaiah was born with a birth defect to his right arm, just below the elbow. He was born with a shrunken arm absent of a hand. “It’s amazing what he is already able to do. I’ve watched him open a band aid and apply it” said Mrs. Pam Porter, Mill Hall Elementary nurse who was on hand for the fitting. “I am excited for him” she continued. Mill Hall Elementary Principal Mike Hall was also present for the unveiling.

“Isaiah is very independent and gets along with everyone. He came to Mill Hall in kindergarten and it’s been a pleasure to watch him grow and adapt” said Hall.

This project is not intended to be a permanent prosthetic for Isaiah. It will give him and his mother, Chelsea Miller an opportunity to decide if a medical prosthetic is an option in the future. “I let him decide if he wanted to try this” said Mrs. Miller. “I have decided that I like him to make all the decisions”.

Shae Cole fits the prosthetic to Isaiah’s arm while mother Chelsea looks on.

“The printing piece of the project takes about 19 hours” said Shane. “We made two so that we had a back up, so in total about 38 hours of printing and all the time researching and designing”. Shae added, “We want to thank our local AYSO soccer league, they purchased all of the materials for the project totaling about $150.”

Isaiah was very quiet upon arriving at Mr. Hoy’s room to check out his new gadget. Mr. Hoy told him he heard that Isaiah liked the color green and Shae talked to him about playing soccer and school. While Isaiah stayed close to Mom, Cole and Scanlan asked for Isaiah’s permission to fit the prosthetic to his arm. The two Central Mountain students carefully and gently adjusted the prosthetic for fit and with Mr. Hoy’s help, cut and applied foam cushions to the inner parts of the attachment so that it would not scratch or irritate Isaiah’s skin. Using straps with velcro, Cole and Scanlan attached the prosthetic to Isaiah’s arm.

Once the fit was secure, it was time to test the device.

After just one try, Mill Hall first grader Isaiah Slaterbeck picks up a small bottle with his prosthetic arm created by Central Mountain students, Shae Cole and Shane Scanlan.

Cole and Scanlan created the prosthetic so that when Isaiah pulls his bent arm inward, the hand grasps. When he backhands his arm outward, the hand opens and releases. The first try was close to making the grab of a miscellaneous plastic mold that Mr. Hoy had on his desk. The second attempt at making a grab with his new hand was a success. Mr. Hoy found a small bottle of sunscreen in his desk and he no sooner placed it on the table and Isaiah was picking it up. The room was silent, but the feeling was overwhelming. Everyone watched in awe as Isaiah continued to pick up the bottle. The adults in the room were sure Isaiah would go home and practice picking up random things all over his house.
As Isaiah and his family left the high school, he started to open up a little bit more. He talked about liking soccer and watching West Coast Choppers. He didn’t mention the prosthetic, but it was clear he was happy.