A group of Rocky Point High School technology students gave an Indonesian boy they never met a gift he will never forget.
Anun Suastika is a 6-year-old boy who was born with no fingers on his right hand. His father put out a plea online for someone to help make a prosthetic hand for his son.
Rocky Point High School technology education teacher John Schumacher saw the plea and decided to involve his students in a project that blended tech skills and humanitarian aid. Schumacher happened upon e-NABLE, an organization with volunteer members who use open-source technology and 3D printers to provide free prosthetic hands for children and adults. He used the designs available on the website to guide his students as they built the prosthetic hand using the school’s 3-D printer.
Students worked during free periods and after school to design and assemble the 3-D parts into a Phoenix V-3 prosthetic hand. As traditional prosthetics normally cost thousands of dollars and need to be replaced as children grow, the production of a printed Phoenix V-3 prosthetic hand is much more inexpensive because of its design: It simply relies on a person’s functional wrist and uses the palm to push against the device so the fingers close when the wrist is bent.
Rocky Point School District Superintendent of Schools Dr. Scott O’Brien said that the school and community were grateful to Schumacher and the students for completing a project that will have a profound effect on a boy’s life.
“The enthusiasm and passion shown by this committed group is inspiring to others in our school district, learning that in our classrooms they too can make a difference in the global community,” said O’Brien.
Technology class students James Prendergast, Gavin Donovan, Gianna Imeidopf, Thomas Anzalone, Brendon Artzt, and Jacob Bazata were involved in the project under Schumacher’s guidance.
Last month, Brookhaven Town honored the students and their teacher for their accomplishment.
“It is not every day that high school students can make such a big impact on a person’s life, but these students did just that,” said Brookhaven Town Councilwoman Jane Bonner.
Pictured in the front row, left to right are Technology class students James Prendergast, Gavin Donovan, Gianna Imeidopf, Thomas Anzalone, Brendon Artzt, Jacob Bazata and teacher John Schumacher and Councilman Michael Loguercio. Back row left to right Councilwoman Jane Bonner, Councilman Kevin LaValle, Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich, Supervisor Ed Romaine, Councilman Neil Foley and Councilman Dan Panico.