Fundraiser launched for Black Country man to pay for 'life-changing' bionic arm
“I want to do things everyone takes for granted – I want to open a door, or try to open a jar, pick up shopping and stuff like that.”
Those are the words of a Black Country man who is aiming to raise £5,000 to help pay towards a “life-changing” bionic arm.
Andrew Saxton, from Upper Gornal in Dudley, was born without a left arm.
But now he has set his sights on a £10,000 bionic ‘Hero Arm’ from Open Bionics and faces a race against time to raise the vital funds.
Andrew has been told by the Bristol-based company that if he can raise half of the cost – by the end of March – they will put up the other half.
He said: “I’ve gained a lot of confidence over the years but when it comes to jobs and stuff like that it affects my confidence and just generally going out as well.
“Sometimes during the summer I don’t like going out without a jumper even if it’s hot – I’m trying to cover it up and that’s something I’ve always done.
“But this would make my life easier. It would pretty much be life-changing for me because I’m having to balance everything in one hand too.”
The 31-year-old said he also hoped it would help his back as well – due to the imbalance in his body causing a strain, which has led to time off work. He described prosthetics provided by the NHS as being cumbersome and more of a “dead weight” than something usable which the Hero Arm would be.
So far the fundraising page has raised more than £2,200 – almost half of the target – since it first launched on Thursday last week after an outpouring of support.
He has been helped by his girlfriend Heather Hickman and their two children, from different relationships, Jack Hickman, 13, and eight-year-old Charlotte Saxton.
Andrew said: “It’s been brilliant.
“We’ve got raffles going and it’s been shared on different Facebook groups too.
“I’m surprised by who donated and how much it’s raised – there’s a lot of people I don’t know who’ve donated.
“Heather has been brilliant, she’s helped me through this process and with everything generally.
“My girlfriend and my two sisters set up the Facebook page and are arranging all the raffles and they’ve been extremely supportive – all my family have been.”
Mr Saxton said on his fundraising page he stopped wearing his NHS prosthetic aged nine because it made him “stand out more”.
But it meant he was bullied – with people saying hurtful comments which impacted his confidence.
To donate, visit gofundme.com/f/andrews-hero-arm-help
