Hattiesburg High students make prosthetic arm for one year old

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Two Hattiesburg High School students gave one local girl a helping hand Thursday.

One-year-old, Oak Grove native, Arabella Ruff was born with one arm. However, a team of three young men put their skills and minds together to give Arabella another arm.

“We had two students that was involved in mainly helping clean the parts and assembly. Once I had everything printed I helped to do some assembly and I had my two students help do some assembly. I kept the whole class in the loop the whole time with what was going on, let them as questions, why am I doing this? Why am I doing that?" said Robotic Instructor, Steven Jordan.

Sophomore students, Ivory Stallings and Clemon Terrell assisted Jordan constructing the prosthetic arm -- using 3-D printing technology.

"It was fairly easy, keeping it separate from school work wasn’t as easy because we tried to remember to go home and work on the CAD stuff, so you would be able to help the next day in class,” said Stallings.

Jordan shared in addition to learning how to use technology to make a prosthetic arm, his students now understands skill building, community service and team work.

“She may have some limitations, but so far she has kind of figured out how to do things with the one arm she has. Seeing her be able to pick things up with one hands instead of tucking everything under her arm and holding two things at once – and that sort of thing – that’s going to be a pretty neat experience us,” said Arabella's Father, Paul Ruff.

Arabella's parents said they are very appreciative to the students for their willingness to give their daughter a helping hand.