Trevor Patch's i-Digits Story

My name is Trevor and I'm a 60-year-old partial right-hand amputee. I lost four fingers and the palm of my right hand in an industrial accident when I was 21 years old. I have spent 40 years with a static prosthesis which was provided to me at the time of my accident. It was a straightforward design that had an opposition post to allow me to incorporate the use of my thumb and thus gave me limited use of my partial right hand. Being right-handed had been very tough at times.

I was only familiar with this static style of prothesis and struggled through life adapting as well as I could with daily work and sport. I needed help with certain tasks including cutting food, gripping and holding fine and intricate two-handed jobs. Then, by chance my new prosthetics company (Northern Prosthetics) introduced me to Össur and the i-Digits prostheses. Soon I was being cast, fitted and then presented with my new myo-electric prosthesis. With help from my Occupational Therapist (OT), I'm working on incorporating the i-Digits prosthesis into my daily life. I’m already able to cut and eat my meals independently, do food prep and cook in the kitchen, along with many other household chores.

I have gained so much more confidence and independence in my daily living now that I can achieve so much more with my i-Digits, compared to my old static prosthesis. For example, my main nemesis was doing up plastic zip ties, which I can now achieve without someone's help. I just wish I had access to this technology many years earlier, things would have been so much easier for me in my social, family and working life.

My family and work colleagues have been incredibly supportive with this new prosthesis and they are amazed at how I have adapted to the operation of the i-Digits. I'm continuing to learn more each week on different grip patterns. My family has since named my prosthesis "ARNIE" because they say I look like the terminator when I have it on!

Thank you to Northern Prosthetics, my OT and the Össur team for making such a positive difference to my way of life.