ROANOKE - A Craig County man is one of only three people in Virginia with a prosthetic hand that is allowing him to do things he never thought possible. He lost his arm and leg while he was working on a high voltage power line because of a powerful electric shock.
The key to Vince Moore's recovery from an accident on the job 10 years ago has been advances in technology.
He says, "I never thought I would be able to do anything like this again..a hand that looks like a hand for normal use.. and it is nice to go out someplace and nobody notices."
The I-limb hand was custom made for Vince down to the veins and knuckles that were painted to match his other hand. It operates through electrical impulses in the muscles. After three months of practice Vince is a pro at using it.
Sydney Nicely has been fitting prosthetic limbs for 40 years and is an amputee himself. He has been helping Vince through Virginia Prosthetics since Vince's accident.
Nicely says, "It is expensive; the new I-limb hand probably adds about $18,000 to the cost of prosthesis."
That means $35,000 to $40,000 for the first prosthetic hand that allows Vince to tie his shoes on his own among other things
Moore says, "I fish... I farm... I can do just about anything I want.. I have to do it different than I used to do it."
Workers compensation covered the cost for Vince but we're told not many insurance policies will pay for it.
Nicely says, "I think some of the insurance companies are afraid to get involved because they think they are going to have to do this for every amputee... that's out there."
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