Students in a Russellville Middle School STEM class are building a prosthetic arm for a teacher's little girl.
Born without her left hand, 4-year-old Sloan Hellums does not let it slow her down. Over the past few weeks, students at Russellville Middle School have taken it upon themselves to assemble a prototype prosthetic for her. Ansley Lewis and Wendy Barrientos are two students working on the project.
"Sloan is such a sweet little girl, and she deserves the best," Lewis said.
They feel this is a way to give back to Sloan.
"It warms my heart up to know that I could help out a little girl in need," Barrientos said.
Sloan's mother teaches special education in the classroom next door, and she said she has known all of Sloan's life she would bring joy to those around her.
"I look at those three girls, and I say that like she's bringing joy through them and like it may not be this year, it may not be next year, but I feel like there's gonna be a time in their lives where their gonna be able to use this as a type of joy through them," Hellums said.
The prosthetic is made from 3D printed materials held together by screws, string, vVelcro and rubber bands Lewis gets from the orthodontist. When Sloan lifts her arm, the strings on the prosthetic are meant to pull the hand closed so she can grab things.
The next prosthetic they are building will be smaller and made of lighter material. Sloan said she is excited to take her new arm to preschool next year, and the first thing she plans to eat with it is pepperoni pizza.
