3D Printing

3D printing helps child achieve her dream of throwing a baseball

The internet is full of stories about some student 3D printing a hand for a classmate or even themselves with a desktop 3D printer. Amazing to be sure, but for the most part those 3D printed hands offer limited function. Which might lead some to think that 3D printing is not really useful here.

In the hands of engineers, however, a 3D printed hand can do interesting things, like throw a baseball. University of Navada Las Vegas (UNLV) engineers heard the story of 7-year old Hailey Dawson who had a special dream—she wants to throw the first pitch at every major league baseball stadium. But Hailey has Poland Syndrome, a birth defect where she’s missing three fingers on her right hand. So the UNLV engineers 3D printed a hand that helps her throw a baseball.

Hailey Dawson, a 5-year-old from Las Vegas, throws the ceremonial first pitch before a game between the Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015, at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Hailey was born with Poland Syndrome. Engineering students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas created the “Flexy Hand 2” that she wore to throw the ball. (Lloyd Fox/Baltimore Sun/TNS via Getty Images)

The story hit Twitter, and with the help of MLB, Hailey is on her way to achieving her dream.