Top Hand That Sees Offers New Hope to Amputees

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

“For me it was literally a case of life or limb,” says Doug McIntosh, who lost his right arm in 1997 through cancer. 

“I had developed a rare form of cancer called epithelial sarcoma, which develops in the deep tissue under the skin, and the doctors had no choice but to amputate the limb to save my life. 

“Losing an arm and battling cancer with three young children was life changing.  I left my job as a life support supervisor in the diving industry and spent a year fund-raising for cancer charities. 

“It was this and my family that motivated me and got me through the hardest times.” 

Since then, Doug has gone on to be an inspiration to amputees around the world.  Becoming the first amputee to cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 100hrs, cycle around the coast line of Britain, he has run three London Marathons, cycled The Dallaglio Flintoff Cycle Slam 2012 and 2014 and in 2014 cycled with the British Lions Rugby Team to Murrayfield Rugby Stadium for “Walking with Wounded” Charity.  He is currently preparing to do Mont Ventoux this September, three cycle climbs in one day for Cancer Research UK and Maggie’s Cancer Centres. 

Involved in the early trials of the first myoelectric prosthetic limbs, Doug has been working with the Newcastle team to trail the new hand that sees. 

“The problem is there’s nothing yet that really comes close to feeling like the real thing,” explains the father-of-three who lives in Westhill, Aberdeen with his wife of 32 years, Diane. 

“Some of the prosthetics look very realistic but they feel slow and clumsy when you have a working hand to compare them to. 

“In the end I found it easier just to do without and learn to adapt.  When I do use a prosthesis I use a split hook which doesn’t look pretty but does the job.” 

But he says the new, responsive hand being developed in Newcastle is a ‘huge leap forward’. 

“This offers for the first time a real alternative for upper limb amputees,” he says. 

“For me, one of the ways of dealing with the loss of my hand was to be very open about it and answer people’s questions.  But not everyone wants that and so to have the option of a hand that not only looks realistic but also works like a real hand would be an amazing breakthrough and transform the recovery time – both physically and mentally – for many amputees.”

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