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'Two Thumbs Up': Students use 3D-printer to make thumbs for classmate

The students at Don Roberts Elementary paired with Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics in Little Rock to figure out the best way to get started.

Little Rock, Ark. (KTHV)- Normal everyday tasks aren't easy for 11-year-old Nuriah Wiley.

"From the time she was born she has learned how to adapt with how her hands are and how her fingers are made," Nuriah's mother, Lakeithia Wiley said.

Nuriah was born with two rare genetic brain disorders that have caused her to have severe developmental delays and she was also born without thumbs.

After years of adapting to a life without thumbs, she'll be adapting to a life with them, thanks to her classmates at Don Roberts elementary.

"We realized that Nuriah didn't have any thumbs and we realized that if we had thumbs for her that she would be able to do a bunch more if she did," one of Nuriah's classmates said.

Mrs. Mcbride's EAST program class started a project called, "two thumbs up."

"We went to our EAST program last year and a lot of the EAST programs were printing prosthetics for people and, after seeing that and knowing Nuriah, the kids decided they wanted to try to print Nuriah 3D thumbs, so we gave it a try!" Mrs. McBride said.

The students paired with Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics in Little Rock to figure out the best way to get started.

"We have a lot of prototypes, a lot of fails, but after measuring and testing a lot and reprinting and remodeling we finally have some we think will work for her right now," Mrs. McBride said.

"We have three different designs; we have one design at a 45 degree angle that's for writing and then we have two other designs that are straight for everyday life, things like eating and tying shoes," a classmate said.

"I'm excited to see her do more things with her thumbs," another classmate said.

"It's been amazing to see the kids show care and love for someone else in a special way like this because they love Nuriah. She's their friend," Mrs. McBride said.

"Normal things that we do, she's going to be able to fully do it now with her thumbs so I'm going to give that two thumbs up," Mrs. Wiley said.

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