Prosthetics Bring New Possibilities to Dunfermline Father and Son
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Living life without a limb or a finger presents challenges beyond physical limitations; it also impacts one’s mental and emotional well-being. Thanks to prosthetic technology, a father and son from the UK have experienced a significant change in their lives. Now, they can embrace life to the fullest.
Regaining the lost years
Nineteen-year-old Josh Cathcart was born without his lower right arm. Throughout childhood, he experimented with various devices to replace his missing arm, including a claw-like device that let him grab his snacks. However, he was bullied at school, which led him to stop using the claw. He wished that he could have two functional hands.
The Cathcart family researched a solution for Josh, ultimately providing him with an Össur i-Limb prosthetic hand. Josh was just nine years old then, making him the youngest person in the world to be fitted with the prosthesis.
Since receiving the i-Limb, Josh has been able to reclaim his childhood. He uses the prosthetic to ride his scooter and bike, perform tricks with his friends at the local skate park, and simply enjoy being a child.
It’s never “just a finger”
Josh’s father, James, lost his left index finger in a workplace accident when he was 27. He grappled with the loss. At the hospital, he was told that they couldn’t save his finger. He was also told that “it was just a finger.”
These words didn’t do anything to assuage his loss. It only made him self-conscious, which affected how he lived every day.
James initially used a silicon prosthesis, but it soon became a burden. Working outdoors required him to have two to keep up with his shifting skin tone. Additionally, the prosthesis was purely cosmetic, lacking any real functionality. To top it off, his dog chewed it.
Eventually, James gave up on the idea of a prosthesis and accepted that there weren’t any suitable solutions for him. However, at an Össur event with Josh, he unexpectedly discovered a prosthesis that truly felt right for him. Someone recommended he give the Naked Prosthetics finger a try.
In an interview with Dunfermline Press, James said that as soon as he slipped the prosthesis on, he knew it was the right fit. For two decades, James had resigned himself to the thought that he would never find the right solution. So when he finally did, it felt almost unreal to him.
He immediately noticed the difference when holding a phone. The change was evident when he turned on the indicator in his truck, picked things up, or handled a spirit level and wheelbarrow at work.
James said that what may seem trivial to others is amazing for him. He also said that had he known something like the Naked Prosthetics finger existed two decades ago, he would have been the first to get one.
Thriving in life
Josh is now thriving, enjoying the freedom that the i-Limb provides. He drives, works with his father as a landscaper, and even DJs with friends at a venue in Edinburgh during his free time.
After facing significant challenges early on, James shared that Josh has become a self-assured young man. He does a great job as a landscaper, and he works hard. There’s nothing he can’t accomplish.
The bottom line
Prosthetics, whether a finger or an entire limb, are not just functional. They are deeply tied to one’s resilience, identity, and drive to live fully despite life’s challenges.
For many, having a prosthesis means regaining independence, rebuilding body image and self-confidence, kickstarting emotional healing, and restoring normalcy. A prosthetic limb helps them feel whole again and move forward after the trauma of losing a part of themselves. And that is no small thing.
