Free For All received no compensation for this post I am sharing as part of my #CareBear #ShareYourCare Ambassadorship Program that Free For All is delighted to be a part of!
Getting 3D Printed Prosthetic Hand Inspires Young Girl’s Curiosity in STEM The Care Bears, FATHOM, and e-NABLE Boost Isabella’s Confidence for the First Day of Kindergarten FATHOM was introduced to a soon-to-be kindergartner through e-NABLE, an organization that connects children in need of prosthetic hands with volunteers willing to 3D print open-source designs free of charge to recipients. Although the online community has a set of designs that are ready to make by anyone with a 3D printer, Isabella needed a unique design the network was not ready to accommodate—FATHOM was up to the challenge (watch the video).
Oakland, California—December 14, 2015—Born with a shortened forearm and an underdeveloped hand, Isabella has always felt a bit different from other children her age. Many activities that most kids find easy to learn are more difficult for her, and the prospect of elementary school was a scary one for both Isabella and her concerned family. “It hurts whenever other kids make fun of Isabella,” said Cristina Ibarra, Isabella’s mother. “I don’t want her to feel left out, I want her to feel like every other kid.” Now, the first day of school does not seem as intimidating as it once did. Through a partnership between 3D printing experts FATHOM and the nonprofit e-NABLE, Isabella feels more confident than ever. She is looking forward to showing off the bright pink, Care Bears™-adorned 3D printed hand in kindergarten next year.
When American Greetings found out about the project and Isabella’s love for the Care Bears (in particular Wonderheart Bear), they quickly delivered artwork for the hand and donated a basket of Care Bears toys to help make the presentation truly memorable during the FATHOM team’s visit to the family’s home in Bakersfield, CA, last month. “The e-NABLE and FATHOM teams embody what Care Bears are all about—love, kindness, caring and sharing,” said Sean Gorman, President of American Greetings Entertainment. “Our team was touched by Isabella’s story and are so happy that the Care Bears could help make this moment so special for her.” Isabella is also particularly interested in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) after working extensively with FATHOM Applications Engineer Bethany Casarez and Industrial Designer Ava DeCapri, the young women who created her customized prosthetic. “Isabella is a really curious kid, and when we were fitting her for her arm, she asked so many questions that she could probably design the thing herself at this point,” Casarez laughed. “Having a young girl like her so engaged in mechanics and design, it’s been awesome.”
When FATHOM joined the e-NABLE network, Casarez and DeCapri were excited to use the company’s creativity and expertise for a cause greater than itself—the experience was even more impactful than they imagined. “We’ve seen Isabella start to identify with the community of people using and making prosthetics,” DeCapri said. “Maybe down the line we’ll see her become an engineer or designer! I’m really proud to show Isabella that women are a big part of the science community.” Learn more about Isabella, e-NABLE, and how the 3D printed prosthetic was made: www.studiofathom.com/prosthetic. About FATHOM FATHOM is driven by advanced technologies that enhance and accelerate product development processes.
The FATHOM team is uniquely blending additive technologies and materials with legacy manufacturing methods to bring companies from concept to prototype to manufacturing in a way that wasn’t previously possible. Learn more about FATHOM: www.studiofathom.com About e-NABLE e-NABLE is a global network of volunteers who are using their 3D printers, design skills, and personal time to create free 3D printed prosthetic hands for those in need – with the goal of providing them to underserved populations around the world. e-NABLE was founded in 2013 by Jon Schull, a research scientist based at Rochester Institute of Technology, when he started coordinating offers for aid and requests for 3D printed hands in the comments of a video about the Robohand. e-NABLE began as a match-making service centered around a map, but the community quickly branched out into designing and improving 3D printed prosthetic device and building systems for better distributing them. Today the community numbers in the thousands and has delivered hands in 37 countries.
Learn more about e-NABLE: www.enablingthefuture.org About Care Bears First introduced by American Greetings in 1982 through consumer products, greeting cards, and later an animated CGI television show, Care Bears has become one of the world’s most popular and endearing children’s properties. Today, fans of all ages around the world are falling in love with these huggable bears who help kids have fun while sharing and caring, and they enjoy a robust portfolio of thousands of Care Bears licensed products at retailers globally. The Care Bears are no strangers to television screens. They first appeared in their own television specials in 1983 and 1984, and then made the leap to the big screen in 1985-87 with “The Care Bears Movie” trilogy. They also had their own television series from 1985 to 1988 which is currently available to watch on Netflix.
In November, AGP announced a new original kids series starring the whole huggable gang with a new show titled, “Care Bears & Cousins.” “Care Bears & Cousins” is co-produced by Netflix and will premiere around the world in fall 2015. The brand also has a robust social media following, has more than 5 million views of new and classic videos on YouTube, and has a portfolio of popular apps for mobile devices. Their wholesome messages of caring and sharing resonate with parents who are familiar with the brand and feel comfortable introducing Care Bears to their own children. About American Greetings Entertainment American Greetings Entertainment is the intellectual property and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation, which was built upon the successful re-launch of Care Bears™ and other iconic kids’ entertainment brands, including Holly Hobbie™ and Madballs™, as well as new properties Boofle™, Packages from Planet X™, Twisted Whiskers™ and Buddy Thunderstruck™. AG develops multi-platform entertainment franchises across all media channels, and extensive consumer merchandising programs that immerse children and adults in brands they love.
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