WATCH: New '3D Hand' Improves Life of Disfigured Man From Guatemala

When he was six years old, Welmer Cordova was badly burned in an explosion in his home in Llano Largo, a small town of about 200 about 30 minutes outside of Guatemala City, Guatamala. The blast left him disfigured and disabled.

He is now 20 years old.

And now, nearly 15 years later, he’s got a new hand, thanks to the invention of the 3D Printer, and the smarts and ingenuity of John Walsh, who lives in Norfolk and works as the assistant reference supervisor of IT at the Newton Free Library.

Walsh learned about Cordova at the library’s annual “Spring Fling,” when he met Cordova’s sponsor Brenda Caplan of Hospitality Homes, a nonprofit that gives free home stays to people who visit Boston for medical reasons.

Working at the library, and also in the field of IT, he got adept at operating the 3D printer. He had to get even better at it to teach a class in it.

“Like most things, the 3D printer has a steep learning curve,” said Walsh. “In order to teach the classes, I had to become good at it. As I taught classes, and helped people learn the software and technology, I got better.”

After learning about Cordova’s situation, in May, he decided he wanted to help. He sized and prototyped the hand and finger caps.

“It took a while to get the caps to fit perfectly and a while to assemble the sundry material for the hand,” he said.

Costing about $11, Walsh picked up braided fishing line, the elastic cord and plastic dip at local stores.

Cordova visited Walsh to receive his new hand, when Walsh had to finish rigging the fly fishing line to the wrist and make sure it fit his bio-mechanics.

“He was amazingly happy,” said Walsh. “His smile was priceless.”

Walsh said the hand is “like a glove.” The fingers slide snugly over this stump/last joint of his fingers. The braided fly fishing line extends from the bottom of the finger tip back across the knuckle to the wrist mount. An elastic cord connects that finger tip to the cap.

“When he moves the stump, the finger closes,” said Walsh. “When he relaxes it, it returns to normal.”

With 3D printing “coming into its own” and the prices of the machines dropping, Walsh said it’s becoming more prevalent.

“I’m just happy I was able to make a difference,” said Walsh. “Libraries these days are way more than just books; they’re places that can change lives.”

Photos: courtesy