James and Josh Cathcart
“As soon as I put on the Naked Prosthetics device it felt right, it was instant, and it makes me feel full again”
James Cathcart, a landscaper from Fife in Scotland lost his left index finger in a workplace accident aged 23. He was told at the hospital that there was nothing that could be done to save it and that essentially ‘it was just a finger’. James had some experience of the effects of amputation and limb loss as his father had lost a leg in a workplace accident at the age of 37. Despite being fully aware that his loss was not comparable with that of his father he still felt very self-conscious and on a practical level it affected his ability to do the simple everyday things that most of us take for granted. He did try a silicone prosthesis for a while, however for James it became more of a hindrance than a help and his outdoor job meant he needed two - to match his changing skin tone. It was also purely cosmetic – and his dog chewed it! He eventually ditched the prosthesis and accepted that there wasn’t a workable solution for him and learned to adapt.
It was via James’ son Josh that he finally found a prosthetic device that ‘just felt right’.
The youngest in the world to be fitted with the i-Limb
Josh, now 19, was born with a missing lower right arm. The family collectively understood the challenges this would bring thanks to James’ experience with his finger and James’ father with his leg. Josh had various devices to help from a very young age. He was thrilled with his ‘claw’ which allowed him to grab his own snacks. Sadly, bullying at school led him to abandon his claw and he expressed his wish strongly and repeatedly to ‘just have two hands’. The family did their own extensive research and set about trying to get him an Össur i-Limb hand. He was the youngest in the world to be fitted with the device, at the age of nine, and it truly changed his life. He was able to ride about on his scooter and bike and learn tricks with his friends at the local skate park, and start again after his lost childhood years.
“I was the youngest in the world to be fitted with the i-Limb when I was nine, and it truly changed my life.”
Thriving and living his best life
He’s now thriving and living his best teenage life with the independence the i-Limb gives him. He’s driving, working with his dad as a landscaper and DJing with his friends in his bedroom and at a venue in Edinburgh in his spare time. James says “After such a tricky start in life with the bullying he’s come out the other side and he’s such a confident (and cheeky!) young man now. He’s a great asset on the job sites as a landscaper and a real hard worker and there’s nothing he can’t achieve”.
This was incredible. It felt surreal
It was at an Össur event with Josh that it was suggested to James that he try the Naked Prosthetics device “As soon as I put on the device it felt right, it was instant. I’d accepted for 20 years that I’d never find a solution that worked for me. This was incredible. It felt surreal. All the things I struggled with before aren’t there anymore. I adapted very very quickly. The way I hold a phone, the way I indicate in the truck, the way I pick things up and at work, I really notice it. And when I hold a spirit level and grab for the wheelbarrow, it gives me the balance and stability I need. They might be little things to other people, but for me it’s incredible.
“If I’d known 20 years ago a product like this existed I’d have been first in the queue”
What James uses
James wears our Naked Prosthetics MCP Driver. The MCP Driver is a body-driven, mechanical prosthestic device designed for a finger amputation or limb difference.
Product Links: Naked Prosthetics
What Josh uses
Josh wears the i-Limb Quantum. Our premium multi-articulating myoelectric hand, crafted with titanium digits for a 50% increase in carry load, up to 30% more grip force and a 30% speed boost to enhance natural motion, strength and functionality.
Product Links: i-Limb Quantum