www.3ders.org

Sep 8, 2017 | By Tess

A seven-year-old girl is being invited by Major League Baseball teams from around the United States to give the first pitch using her specially made 3D printed prosthetic hand.

Hailey Dawson, a seven-year-old from Las Vegas, was born with a rare congenital disease called Poland Syndrome, which caused her to only have two fingers on her right hand. Despite her disability, the ambitious youngster has persevered and has pursued her passion for baseball fearlessly.

Hailey throwing the first pitch at an Orioles baseball game in 2015 with her 3D printed hand

A couple of years ago, Hailey’s story reached a group of engineers from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, who decided to design and create a 3D printed hand device which would make baseball—especially pitching—easier for the young girl.

The prosthetic device consists of 3D printed parts which are assembled using fishing wire. When worn, the device can close the prosthetic fingers into a fist with only a flick of the wrist. With another wrist movement, the fingers will release.

Hailey was given the opportunity to try her 3D printed prosthetic hand at a Baltimore Orioles’ baseball game, where she was invited to give the first pitch. Hailey, who was just five-year-old at the time, threw the pitch at Camden Yards with the help of an orange and black 3D printed robotic hand. The team went on to win 4-2 against the Oakland Athletics.

Orioles-themed prosthetic hand 3D printed by engineers from the University of Nevada Las Vegas

She was subsequently invited by the Washington Nationals to throw the ceremonial first pitch for one of their games.

Now, the seven-year-old is determined to throw a pitch at every Major League Baseball field. Thanks to a Twitter post by Bleacher Report, Hailey’s mission has now gone viral, attracting the attention of a number of MLB teams.

As of now, Hailey has been invited (via Twitter) to cast pitches for the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Seattle Mariners, the Oakland Athletics, the Cincinnati Reds, and the San Diego Padres.

Hailey Dawson (left)

Hailey’s ultimate goal is to break the world record for most first pitches thrown. Who knows, maybe with the help of her robotic 3D printed prosthetic hand, she’ll be able to realize that goal.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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