Oswaldtwistle boy, 7, raising money for bionic arm

Dionne Sparks is hoping to raise £13,000 to buy her seven-year-old son, Alexander Sparks, a prosthetic arm with moving fingers.

The football-mad St Andrew’s Primary School pupil wants his arm to be white and blue, with the Blackburn Rovers emblem on, in honour of his beloved hometown club.

Dionne said Alexander’s birth defect was put down as a “sporadic event” that had not been picked up in scans.

She said: “I didn’t find out his arm was missing until I gave birth to him.

“I had several scans because I had suffered miscarriages previously but doctors never picked up on this.

“When I gave birth I was on a lot of pain relief and thought I was imagining the fact his arm was missing.

“It was so hard explaining to loved ones that he had arrived but was missing an arm.

"You start to feel envious of families who had a chance to prepare because we didn’t.

“However, he is alive and healthy now and I don’t hold a grudge.”

Dionne said Alexander coped well without the use of his arm but said a prosthetic limb would improve his life.

She said: “Nothing phases him. He has a good group of friends at school.

"He is known as ‘the boy with the missing arm’ but we want to change that to ‘boy with the bionic arm’.

“He is tough, so clever and smart but a bionic arm will change his life completely.

"He will be able to do so much more. He will be able to tie his shoe laces, lift items, use a sling shot, play various sports and so many more things.”

Dionne took Alexander to an event in Liverpool, hosted by Open Bionics, which showcased the latest advancements in bionic limbs.

Here he was introduced to the ‘hero arm’, an advanced multi-grip bionic arm that is custom made.

Dionne said: “I knew we couldn’t afford the arm and I told my son this.

“But I wanted him to see what was out there and the technological advancements that are being made.

“They weren’t there to sell you an arm, they were there to help you campaign for one.

“They put a mechanic arm on the table and my son tried it out. His hand opened for the first time and his face lit up.

“The smile and the look of pure fascination on his face was something we'll never forget.

“I knew at this moment that I couldn’t let this moment pass us by. I had to try and fundraise.

“When I said I would try and raise money for it, he gave me a massive hug. I have never had a hug like that from him before.

“He knew we couldn’t afford it and wasn’t going to ask for it, but he really wanted it.”

Alexander has even drawn some pictures which he is selling in order to raise some more money.

Alexander Sparks as a baby (Image: Dionne Sparks)

While there are prosthetic arms on the NHS, their function is basic and it could take years for Alexander to get one.

Dionne said: “On the NHS you have an open and shut hand but this one has six different hand functions with a stronger grip.

“The bionic arm can be tailor-made. It’s not just there for aesthetic purposes it is very functional.

“It could also be years before he is able to get an arm.”

Dionne is hoping to raise £13,000 to pay for a custom arm and has thanked anyone who has donated or shared the fundraiser so far.

Alexander Sparks as a baby (Image: Dionne Sparks)

She said: “Alexander is obsessed with football at the minute and he wants his arm to have a Blackburn Rovers design. We will find a way to put a Blackburn Rovers emblem on.

“Any money raised beyond our initial target will be used solely for the purpose of maintaining Alex's arm and would also go towards the cost of constructing a new arm when he gets too big.

“This is an investment into his future and not just a temporary fashion statement.”

To make a donation visit the family’s GoFundMe here.