Bionic arm is best gift for brave Jayden

BRAVE Jayden Henry-Poole has finally been given his Christmas wish – tearing open his presents with both hands.

- Lucy Laing

Jayden, 11, was born without a left arm and has struggled with tasks most youngsters take for granted.

But thanks to a bionic replacement – after his local community rallied around to help with fund- raising – he can now unwrap his Christmas presents and even pull crackers with his left hand for the first time with sister Elissa, nine.

Mum Rebecca, 32, a teaching assistant, from Bude, Cornwall, with partner Ali Tithecott, 31, a plumber, said: “It’s lovely to see him being able to do lots of things that he couldn’t do before, all thanks to his new arm.

“He can open his Christmas presents with both hands for the first time, and he’s so excited for Christmas this year. But the best gift he could ever have asked for was his new arm.”

Doctors broke the news to Rebecca when she went for a scan at 18 weeks pregnant.

She said: “They told me they couldn’t see his arm, and that it was missing. It was such a shock, as I hadn’t imagined anything was going to be wrong.