HOUSTON (WBAP/KLIF) She may only be seven years old, but already Hailey Dawson has pitched in more Major League stadiums than most adults. And she’s done it with the help of a 3D printed prosthesis.
Hailey was born with Poland Syndrome, which is a rare birth defect that typically results in underdeveloped pectoral muscles and other physical abnormalities. In Halley’s case, that means she is missing several fingers on her right hand.
However, a prosthetic hand was just too expensive for her parents. That’s because most insurance companies won’t cover the cost for children, saying they outgrow prosthetic limbs as their bodies change.
That’s when researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas stepped in. They designed a hand that can be printed on a 3D printer. This brought the cost down to just the cost of materials: from about $20,000 to around $2,000.
Now Hailey and her family travel the country so she can throw out the first pitch at dozens of Major League Baseball games, including Saturday’s World Series Game 4 in Houston. They’re doing it to raise awareness for Poland Syndrome. You can follow them on the quest at the Journey to 30 Facebook page.
Robyn Geske, KLIF/WBAP, Copyright © 2017
