'It makes me happy': 7-year-old getting new prosthetic hand, thanks to high school students

Updated: 6:49 AM EDT Aug 13, 2021

High school students in Buffalo, New York, are working on a pretty special project: a prosthetic hand for a 7-year-old in their community. Josiah Clarke was born with one hand, but his dad said he's learned how to do everything a typical kid his age would do."He's a normal kid. He does everything. He plays soccer, plays basketball, plays skateboards, rollerblades, dirt bike," Joel Clarke told WKBW. "He's shown us he does everything. He plays video games with his nub."Now, Josiah is excited about the possibility of a second hand, thanks to the AT&T Hand In Hand program, sponsored by WNY STEM Hub. which has teenagers building adaptive devices."To be able to see him now and bring his ideas to life — the colors he wanted and everything, it's very impactful," said Elias Humphrey, a high school senior.The program allows students to learn about digital literacy and the impacts technology can have on people like Josiah."Students are the ones that make adjustments. In this case, we made a specialized hand for him to use on his dirt bike," said Simone Ragland, the executive Director of WNY STEM Hub. It's the first thing Josiah says he'll use his new hand for. "It makes me happy," he said. "Thank you."