Students making prosthetic legs, plan to deliver them to people in need in Central America
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CHICKASAW, Alabama (WALA) — Students at Chickasaw High School are making prosthetic legs.
At some point, they will deliver them free of charge to people in need in Central America.
“When you realize it’s going to be on a person you realize you’re not only changing your life by getting this experience, but you’re changing another person’s life,” said Benjamin Cruz, a student at Chickasaw High School.
The process starts in a 3D printer. Once the parts are created over the course of several days, the students then assemble them.
For Cruz, this project is personal because it will help people in Honduras and other Central American countries.
“Seeing that I can give back to the place that my family was born is amazing, it’s super cool,” he said.
Ten have been built so far with a few more expected to be ready next week.
“It just excites me watching these kids love helping other people,” said Brian Copes, the teacher behind the project at Chickasaw High School. “My students are wanting to stand in the gap to make a difference. They’re giving them life-changing legs.”
Normally prosthetic legs cost thousands of dollars, but these are a lot cheaper to make and they are giving them away free.
Not only are they helping others, but the project is a learning experience for those apart of it.
“It helps me look forward to some future careers and stuff and all the different things and expand my horizon of what I might want to do,” said Shaundria Braziel, a student in the program.
Creating the prosthesis is only one part of the program. Eventually once COVID travel restrictions are over, the students will head to Central America to deliver the legs in person.
“When you eventually go you’re going to see how happy a person can be that they can finally walk after God knows how long that they haven’t been able to walk,” Cruz said.
Teachers say the whole school is involved in this and it is all thanks to businesses and grants.
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