'I was born with one hand but now this one thing could change my life'
A young woman who was born with a rare hand anomaly at birth has been given a "once in a lifetime" opportunity which would truly transform the way she lives day-to-day. Ffion Markham, from Neath, was born with what her family believes is symbrachydactyly, a hand anomaly present at birth which affects a single upper limb.
It is not inherited, and is characterised by short, stiff, webbed or missing fingers, with the underlying muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones are all affected. Medical experts say one in every 32,000 babies are affected by the condition.
Ffion relied on the help of her family for things many take for granted whilst growing up, like cutting her food, tying her shoelaces or brushing her hair. When she reached secondary school, it was there that she first became conscious of her condition, actively looking to hide it and not draw attention to herself. For the latest Neath Port Talbot news, sign up to our newsletter here.
READ MORE: Mum recalls horror of her own body attacking unborn son while in the womb
READ MORE: Parents knew something wasn't right with their toddler - but what happened next astounded everyone
The 22-year-old said: "I haven't been given a firm diagnosis of what actually happened, but me and my family have been doing our own research and found a possible diagnosis of symbrachydactyly, which seemed to fit what I have better than anything else we've found.
"Growing up, I didn't ever really see myself as different. I knew I only had one hand, but everything growing up was normal. I didn't know anything different. It wasn't until I went to secondary school, where there is a lot more people, that the questions started, and I thought to myself: 'I am different'. That's when I started to wear jumpers and hide my hand. Looking for photos from back then now is impossible, as in every one my hand is hidden behind my back. I always used to hide it. I became quite shy, and didn't want any attention on me.
"It has caused difficulty for me when it has come to tying my laces, cutting my food, doing my hair, just a lot of day to day things that everyone else takes for granted. I had to rely on my mum, Rebecca, for her help with a lot. When I was 16, 17, still having to rely on her to do things like that felt a bit of a setback. Whilst they would always help me, my parents would also always encourage me to do things myself, and it would never be a case of 'I'll do it for you', and through that I'd figure out my own way to do things like pair socks. Sometimes I would use my feet to help me do things as well, or put things against my leg to hold it still to do stuff."
Ffion is now studying at university to become a teacher herself, with placements at Tonna Primary School, where she was once a pupil herself. She said that the children she teaches are often inquisitive about how she manages life with only one hand.
She said: "I have always wanted to be a teacher, and the support that I received in school, I want to give back. During placement, the questions I get off pupils make me laugh all the time. They ask questions like 'How do you do something?' and I've never thought of how I do it, it just comes natural. They are all blown away that I can drive a car with one hand, and are like 'Oh my God, how do you do that?'"
Through the years, Ffion explained she had received plenty of help from hospital visits, including different prosthetics and aids to help her carry out day-to-day tasks like cutting up food herself, but has not found them very useful. She has now, however, discovered something that could change her life for good.
Ffion has been given a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to attend a clinic in Bristol and have a custom-made bionic hand created by Open Bionics, a company which has clinics in California, New York, Florida, Australia and Germany. It is called the 'Hero Arm', an advanced, lightweight, 3D printed bionic arm, that comes with six easy-to-select grips to help with a variety of daily tasks and a quick rotate wrist that can spin 180 degree, and a freeze mode with temporarily locks the position of the hand and stops all muscle control.
It costs £20,000, and she has now launched a fundraiser hoping for support from the public to reach her goal. She has also organised a fundraising evening at Tonna RFC on Saturday, October 5, from 5pm until late, which will feature entertainment from The Young Americans, Mad Jay, and a raffle with a whole host of prizes. Tickets cost £10 for adults, with free entry for children.
She said: "When I found out about this, I thought it was just the best thing ever. This may sound simple, but it would be amazing if I could hold my phone and a drink at the same time, without tipping or dropping anything. It works with two sensors that go on my arm, and when my muscles contract one way, my hand closes and when it goes the other way, my hand opens.
"I have never thought about getting anything like that before, but in April, I broke my right wrist after slipping in the garden and I literally had no hands to do anything. I was off work, and I was bored, and I came across it on a Facebook advert. I thought there would be millions of people trying it but why not give it a go, they may not even consider me. But three or four days later I received a phone call and they told me they had looked at the measurements of my hand, this that and the other, and I was the perfect candidate.
"Me and my mum went up to Bristol a few weeks ago and had a chat with the company. They told me how it would work and took a casting of my arm and said they'd make me a hand, and I've got an appointment soon where a trial arm will be ready. It would be amazing, especially to show children that even though you're different, there is another way around it and options out there. I mentioned it to the kids in school and they said 'You're going to be a superhero'.
"My fundraising page has not been up for long, and has already gone mad (currently at just over £1,600 raised). I couldn't get over it. I thought maybe my friends and family would donate and that would be it, but people have been really generous. There's people in work who I don't really speak to much but have donated £30-£40. We've got a fundraiser booked for October 5, and the response of that has been great too. Lots of people have bought tickets already. I don't know how to put what the support means to me into words. I'm quite quiet, reserved, and then to know there's so many people who think it's amazing that I've been given this opportunity, and are willing to support it. At the moment, money is tight for everybody, and for people to spare money to donate is amazing."
If you would like to donate money towards Ffion's fundraiser, you can do so by clicking here.