Currently, the cost of prosthetic limbs are very high, with prices depending on the internal components of the prosthesis, its type, suspension, materials and other factors. Due to a child’s growth, a pricey prosthetic could quickly become outdated and unusable. Broward County Library’s Creation Station is equipped with state-of-the-art 3D printers and other high-tech equipment that made the manufacturing of a prosthetic hand simple, easy and cost-effective.

Helping Hands illustrates the impact a public library can have not just in the community but on a global scale with an innovation that makes a difference in quality of life. While this Helping Hands project was implemented on an international level, future projects will be local, filling in gaps left by insufficient/absent health care. Broward County Library has demonstrated their ability to do this in the past by creating an inexpensive prosthetic thumb for a customer. Helping Hands demonstrates the ability of libraries to change lives and emphasizes the varied services and resources provided by a modern public library.

Success is measured by the functionality of the hands and their approval for use by the e-NABLE Project. In September 2015, BCL received a letter from a recipient of a Helping Hands prosthetic:

“Cochabamba, September 26, 2015,
Dear Bob and Gary: I want to thank you both for your help and for all your efforts to make my dream come true. Now the children in my school ask me questions and do not make fun of me, and that makes me very happy. I hope you continue helping more children with the same condition I have. Your Bolivian friend, Leonardo V.”