Fingers are something most of us take for granted. Now, imagine not having any.
Five-year-old Emmy Hoffman was born with no fingers on her right hand, a condition that occurs in one in every 32,000 births in the U.S.
Although her hand is functional, there are many things she cannot do.
“She can’t do things like hold a handle of a bicycle or a Big Wheel, or something like that,” said Emmy’s prosthetist Eric Shoemaker. “She’s getting to that age where she wants to start participating in those activities, so we were looking for something that would be a tool for her to allow her to engage in her environment a little better,” Shoemaker said.
Thanks to 3-D technology, Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics in Philadelphia was able to create a new hand for Emmy, with 4 working fingers and a thumb. A hand so amazing, it inspired Emmy’s mom Jocelyn to write a book – Emmy’s Amazing Hand.
“The main point of the book really is that these kids can do everything,” Hoffman said, “and it’s hard to picture that when they’re tiny and in these little blankets, but now you can see that they are doing everything that everyone else can do.”
It’s a Mother’s Day wish come true for Hoffman.
To see Emmy’s “Amazing Hand” in action, check out the story below, airing statewide this week on California Life.