WELCOME!
Thank you for visiting enablingthefuture.org!
Due to the large number of emails and requests we receive daily, we have created a list of links and email addresses to help direct you to the information you are seeking! Please take a moment and find your question below and click on the appropriate link or email that can best serve you in the most timely manner!
MEDIA & PRESS INFO.
If you are seeking information for stories, interviews with key members or recipients, or media assets for publication, please take a look at our Media FAQ’s Page and see info below:
For Press inquiries or for high resolution image permissions please email Jen Owen at jen.owen.enablevolunteer@gmail.com
To reach Jen or Ivan Owen for interviews or speaking requests or to get in touch with other e-NABLE Community Volunteers – please email:
jen.owen.enablevolunteer@gmail.com
Need a hand or want to volunteer?
Please visit our GET INVOLVED page!
Please note:
- We are a volunteer network of digital humanitarians. We do not sell hands.
- It can take weeks or even months to pair a recipient with a suitable maker (and vice verse)
- e-NABLE’s 3D printed devices aren’t for everyone. In many cases, professional prosthetic consultation is required.
- Volunteers and Recipient families are invited to join the e-NABLE Forums on Wikifactory to ask questions and collaborate with other volunteers.
EDUCATORS, STUDENT, GROUPS & SCHOOLS
If you are interested in creating e-NABLE’s 3D printed hands for your school projects, using e-NABLE in your STEM/STEAM programs, have scouts troops or youth groups that would like to get involved in making a difference as e-NABLE Volunteers:
• Become an e-NABLE Chapter at your local school and put yourselves on the map so that recipients in your local area can find you and connect with you directly! Once you become an official chapter or the teacher in charge of the class becomes an e-NABLE Volunteer, you can sign up to be matched directly with a recipient by going to our “e-NABLE Web Central” matching app.
• Visit our Lend A Hand page!
To potentially be matched with a recipient to make a hand for:
Please visit our “e-NABLE Web Central“ page for more information on how you can get connected
** Please note: Enablingthefuture.org is not part of the matching system of volunteers and recipients. Enablingthefuture.org does not guarantee that you will be matched with a recipient by going through the matching system.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Email: info@enablingthefuture.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enableorganization
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Enablethefuture @enablethefuture
Instagram: @enablethefuture
Forums on Wikifactory: https://wikifactory.com/+e-NABLE/forum
Hi, my name is Jennifer and I want to congrats you for your good work.
I have a nice in Ecuador that she born without a hand (elbow to hand). Can you guys help her too?
Thanks in advance and God bless you!!!
Kattymontoya@hotmail.com
Hello!
We would be happy to help get you matched with someone that might help!
Please email us at letsgetstarted@enablingthefuture.org and fill out our intake form!
Hola! escribo desde Venezuela… Estoy fascinada de toda la informacion que existe al respecto del tema. Tengo una bebe de 2 años de edad quien nacio sin mano izquierda, a pesar de que me costo muchisimo comprender su condicion me gustaria muchisimo mejorar su calidad de vida con una protesis adecuada para ella. Podrian ayudarme y orientarme a que debo hacer?
Hola! Por favor envíenos un email a letsgetstarted@enablingthefuture.org!
Hello I live in Georgia my name is Ariel I am looking for help. My mom lost a arm in a car accident and I am looking for a program that can help me get her a prosthetic arm we have low income. So please if you can help me email me for more information we are in Grady Georgia hospital tthank you
Hello Ariel – so sorry to hear about your Mom’s accident. 🙁
Sounds like it may have just happened as you state you are still in the hospital?
Because she has had a traumatic injury and amputation – it will be quite a few months before her wounds are healed and she will need to work with a prosthetists to make one of these devices for her as she will have nerve damage and all sorts of pain to get through before she should strap any kind of device to her stump.
Once she has healed up and has been given the go ahead by a physician – we would be happy to see if we can help but our current devices are only able to help people who have a functional wrist or elbow – so if she lost her arm above the elbow – we do not currently have a design for her – but we have a team who is working on myo-electric versions and by the time she is ready to try one – they may have more funding to provide something for her.
Take care and we hope she heals quickly.
Hello my name is Gloria.I’m looking for help.I’m very interested.My daughter was born with no fingers on her left hand.The doctors told us a amniotic band wrapped around her hand and stopped her hand from growing.We’ve taken her to several hospitals.The only that tried helping was Shriners hospital they gave us a option.It was removing two toes & placing them on her hand.I totally don’t want that. She is know 2 & starting to notice her hand more.She is a happy,playful & full of life little girl.Her Ot therapist mentioned “enabling the future”.I’ve seen everything you do & that’s awesome what you guys are doing.God bless you!!
So please if you could help
We’ll really appreciate it
I want the best for my daughter’s future
Thank you for your time
Hello Gloria!
We would be happy to help make a hand for her! Please fill out our intake form and get started on getting matched! 🙂
http://goo.gl/lW1uX6
Hello! I’m completely amazed but the gifts of everyone on your team. It’s a blessing to see such positivity in the world. I’ve lost an eye due to a very rare cancer and I’m not a candidate for a prosthetic eye. Do you guys have any plans for eyes in the near future? Thanks so much! God bless
Hello Daisha!
So sorry to hear about your eye loss! Unfortunately, no, we do not have plans for eyes. Anything that would have to go inside of someone’s body would need to be created by a medical professional and use very different materials than what our volunteers use on their home based printers – but I wouldn’t give up hope that 3D printed eyes will exist someday, somewhere!!
Take care and thank you for stopping by!!
Thought this might be of interest for fitting prosthetic hands to little arms.
My name is Catherine, I am a junior studying biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin Madison. I am also studying textile and design so that I can create designs that are more comfortable for individuals, that won’t cause chaffing or irritations from being constantly worn. I also wanted to be able to create designs that could be easily washed and can adapt to fit that individuals mood, outfit, or possibly halloween costume. When I saw this my heart skipped a beat I was so excited! I couldn’t believe what was being designed, and I knew I had to get involved some how. I am collaborating with a group of students who are trying to find a prosthetic company who would be willing to help us, or sponsor us, in designing a prosthetic limb that is affordable, fully functional, customizable, and personalized. I am reaching out in the hopes that we might be able to work with you to design different versions of your hand. If there is any way that we could help please let us know.
I also want to thank you for your time in advance and I hope to hear from you soon. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. Thank you again.
Thank you!
Feel free to join our community if you havent already!
http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/
I have a production grade 3D FDM printing machine and am willing to utilize our machine to make components for your program.
How do I get involved?
Please visit our “Get involved” page and fill out our intake form 🙂 http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/
Dear E-nable community,
Many amputees can’t use these prosthetics because of an amputation higher than the middle of the hand.
We want to go further than the ‘Limbitless arm’, adding a wrist and an elbow on a new design.
A friend (who happen to be double amputee), a prosthetist, an electronician, a 3D designer and I, started to gather and structure a fair amount of informations, contacts and know-how about the creation of a myo-electric prosthetic, CAO, and 3D printing and started the project of a collaborative creation of a myo-electric prosthetic. I would be glad to share it, to find some people to work with. The project already found some marks sothat it may be time to open it to the community…
There is a forum that give an historic of the project (in french and still a bit messy) but a well structured Google drive account that gathers the info and the first creations.
Here is the link to the forum:
http://forum.caliban-web.com/projets/prothese-de-bras-myo-electrique-t4202.html
Please write me at (kervyngauthier@gmail.com) if you want to get access to the data/ to help.
There is still much to do, but many aspects have been studied and it should be confortable to integrate new participants.
People working with motors and electronician might enjoy it very much aswell. There are also one or two things to do about communication and translation(from french).
As I have been working on the 3D modelling of a 3D printed socket, people working with Blender would find a beautifull technique to apply on any patient.
Thank you,
: )
Please email us at enablematcher@gmail.com 🙂
Terri Calvesbert need prosthesys for her two hands.
Please visit our “Get involved” page and fill out our intake form and we can get started finding someone that might be able to help! http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/ – sometimes these devices will work for people and sometimes they wont. But if she has a parent/guardian that would like to fill out the forms and see if there is anything we can do – please have them fill those out!
Jen – I have already filled out the Get Involved form.
Can you let me know what the next step is going to be?
Regards,
Chris
Hi, my name is Joan. What you are doing is such a beautiful gift to others. I was wondering and hoping you may be able to help my brother. He was born without a hand. He is in his late thirties and has dealt with this all his life and I still see him struggle to do things and not be able to do other things. It’s so heartbreaking. It would be so wonderful to see him benefit from this project. Can you help him?
Thank you.
Hello Joan!
Please have him fill out our intake form and send in photos and measurements and we will see what we can do!
http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/
Hello, i was wondering if is possible to make a leg and foot for a person.
We are not able to do so at this time. Our home based printers can not print strong enough materials to hold up a person.
Hello I joined about a year ago because my son julius was born with ASB. And I am now able to freely express my wants and needs for him without crying. I want to see if I can be matched up with some one that van help me get him a 3d hand made ??
Concerned mother
Margenia
Hi my name is Dannithza and my nephew also would like to obtain a robotic hand if you could let us know how and what we need to do to get him one he just turn 12 on April 17 and this boy is the greatest boy, he was born with no palm and little tiny fingers, his grandparents have taken him to numerous therapy offices and therapy to cope with his life to overcommend this situation in his life.. His father died when he was a a 2 years and his mother was really never there because of a drug abused problem I’m his aunt and would like to surprise him with one of these wonderful hands…
God bless all for your doings…
Hello!
Please visit our Get involved page and fill out the intake form and we can get to seeing if one of our designs will work for him!!
http://enablingthefuture.org/get-involved/
Hi my name is Annette I live in Ireland,my ten year old son Josh was born with no fingers on his right hand just a little thumb,last week thanks to your amazing organisation and a wonderful man here in Ireland called stephen dignam josh received his new 3D hand,I will email you some pictures to you so that you can put them up on your page if you want too,amazing work done by amazing people.Thank you
Hi, I’m Christine from China.
I am wondering how can I contact your volunteers in China. Can you tell me the number or email address I can use? Thank you!
Hi Christine! Please email our matcher at enablematcher@gmail.com 🙂
okay, thanks!
Fantastic job at the Tech Breakfast in Philadelphia!
To Whom it May Concern,
Hello my name is Veronica, I have learned about your amazing organization through my father. I have a beautiful 9 year old daughter, her name is Raquel she is sweet, funny, kind, she’s the first one to bring food to a stray animal. Raquel has such a amazing heart that it hurts her when she sees others suffering, that alone makes her an easy target for the bullies in this world..but..she was also born with a congenital difference of the upper left extremity, in plain speaking she has no fingers on her left hand. She has been getting picked on at school for something that is beyond her control, my daughter is a fighter I’ve seen it time and time again. Raquel did three programs of gymnastics and she loved every minute of it, but unfortunately she could not progress any further without her mastering the bars. We spent all summer working on it…she can cross them but can not do the flips.
Your video gave me hope, that your organization knows what its like for my daughter, to be bullied,ridiculed and looked past as someone who just cant do it. I believe with the proper tool she can… with your help, with the 3d glove my daughter will feel better about herself, and as a mother that’s all I want for her….
please help my daughter, make her dreams a reality
you can email us at support@enablecommunityfoundation.org and one of our volunteers can help!
Dear E-nable Community, Im writing you from Chile, because I have friend who was amputated of his hands and legs by an septicemic shock, that also left him deaf. He is 44 years old and live completely alone. After 9 months in the hospital, with treatment, therapy and exercises, he is ready to come back his home and need a hand prosthesis to make his life own. He has total wrist motion in his right hand (and part of his thumb) and total elbow motion in his left arm. Could you help him? Many friends are helping to remodel his house and other issues to improve his life, but in Chile is very difficult access to a 3D printer and the traditional prosthesis is so expensive. Please tell me if I may fill the form to ask for a hand. Thanks!!
you can email us at support@enablecommunityfoundation.org and one of our volunteers can help!
I am looking for some help, my son was injured at birth, he is now 4 and has Erb’s Palsy also known as Brachial Plexus Injury, I am looking for something that will allow him to be more independent. He has no wrist function, but has very little movement in his hand. I tried to fill out the intake from but I am sent to another screen with an error message. We live in NC and hoping someone can help us.
Hello! Please email us at support@enablecommunityfoundation.org and one of our volunteers can help!
Hi, what a great work you’re all doing!!!
i’m an occupational therapist and i have an idea for a special drinking cup for people with motoric problems and problems in swallowing.
it’s now only an idea. We know exactly how the cup must work.
now i’m looking for someone who would like to think with us how to create this cup in a perfect and simple way.
is there someone in your network who would like to help us with this?
greetings, susan quirijnen, The Netherlands
Hello Susan – can you please email me at jen.owen@enablingthefuture.org ? 🙂 Thank you!
hi i want to buy printer and help you and my language arabic mother tonque and english please reply me thanks
Hello! Please email us at support@enablecommunityfoundation.org 🙂
Oi, meu nome é Wesley.
Sou estudante do Centro Universitário Newton Paiva, Belo horizonte – Brasil, e estou precisando da ajuda de vocês para criar uma prótese adaptada para uma paciente do núcleo de fisioterapia. Ela sofreu um acidente e perdeu parte da mão e queríamos muito dar esse prazer de devolvê-la esse prazer de usar as duas mãos para suas tarefas do dia-a-dia.
(Hi, my name is Wesley.
I’m a student at Newton Paiva University Center, Belo Horizonte – Brazil, and I need your help to create a prosthesis adapted for a patient in the physiotherapy nucleus. She suffered an accident and lost part of her hand and we wanted very much to give her the pleasure of giving her back that pleasure of using both hands for her day-to-day tasks.)