Boy, 5, who was born without left hand ‘glowing’ after receiving ‘Iron Man’ bionic arm
A Long Island boy born without a left hand achieved superhero status his week.
Jordan Marotta, 5, became the youngest-ever recipient of a top-of-the-line bionic arm, decked out — at the youngster’s request — in ‘Iron Man’ red and gold.
“He was just walking down the streets of Manhattan, throwing his new hand up in the air screaming ‘Taxi!'” Jordan’s mom, Ashley Marotta, 38, told The Post.
The excited mother of three made the trip with Jordan from their Dix Hills home on Wednesday to Open Bionics’ Park Avenue offices, where the boy was fitted with his “hero” arm.
The arms are typically reserved for older children.
However, Jordan’s physical development and emotional maturity made him the perfect candidate to set a new record, said Daniel Green, certified prosthetist and orthotist at Open Bionics.
Jordan’s non-invasive prosthetic was seamlessly molded to attach and detach from where his left arm ends — or what he and his family call his “nubby.”
Electrodes and sensors detect muscle contractions and respond with appropriate hand and finger movements. It runs on a 14-hour, rechargeable battery and takes about a month to be produced.
Then, the real effort begins — time for Jordan to make the arm his own.
“It takes a little bit of work,” said Green. “It’s maybe something the average five-year-old probably wouldn’t be able to do — at least not as quickly as Jordan, anyway.”
Ashley found out her son would be born without his hand while 20 weeks pregnant, she said.
Always a brave boy, Jordan been able to enjoy a typically normal childhood so far — he even pitches in a Jim Abbott-esque way on a local Little League team and is a karate standout.
However, lately, he had begun to interpret his condition more clearly.
“Recently, things have been a little bit more emotional, Jordan started to really understand and know he’s different,” Ashley said.
“There were plenty of times where he would sit there and ask me, ‘Mommy, how come my hand is not growing?'”
Now, the conversation has taken a much more exciting and positive turn.
The excited tot’s first stop home from the medical office this week was at his school, where he proudly showed off to his classmates. Afterward came a trip to his grandparents’ house and then a scooter joyride, followed by a trip to Chuck E. Cheese.
“This really makes him feel good. He’s so confident. He was glowing,” Marotta said.
