Monday 9 May 2022 11:17 AM Gardener, 55, left without limbs due to rare illness can play pool again thanks ... trends now
A quadruple amputee has been able to hold a pint and shoot some pool for the first time in five years — thanks to a new futuristic bionic arm.
Michael White, 55, lost all four limbs due to a rare inflammatory condition, but was able to shoot some pool and take a sip of ice cold beer thanks to his new robotic limb.
He was diagnosed with Behçet's syndrome and between 2012 and 2017, a condition that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissue and affects just 1,000 people in the UK.
Mr White, from Fleet in Hampshire, was left him in so much pain from his 'dying' limbs, which had turned black, that he begged medics to cut off his hands.
He underwent around 30 operations that meant doctors had to amputate both his legs and hands.
Mr White was fitted with cosmetic arms but these did not let him pick up objects, forcing him to pick up objects with his teeth and carry things under his armpit.
But the former gardener can now use his new right arm, which connects to his brain through sensors, to mow the lawn and carry out everyday tasks.
He hopes the upgrade, which he bought for around £10,000 after crowdfunding the cash, will also let him get back to work.
Michael White, 55, lost all four limbs due to a rare inflammatory condition, but was able to shoot some pool and take a sip of ice cold beer thanks to his new robotic limbs
He was diagnosed with Behçet's syndrome and between 2012 and 2017, a condition that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissue and affects just 1,000 people in the UK
Mr White, from Fleet in Hampshire, was left him in so much pain from his 'dying' limbs, which had turned black, that he begged medics to cut off his hands. He underwent around 30 operations that meant doctors had to amputate both his legs and hands
Unlike his other prostheses that have limited functions, the new arm connects the bionic limb directly to his brain so precise sensations can be picked up by the device and create natural movements.
The device uses myoelectric sensors fitted to his muscles that detect underlying muscular contractions generated from specific muscle groups in his arm.
