Leeds woman bullied at school for having one hand now has £10,000 bionic arm like favourite Marvel character

Enas Saeed, 30, was born with a congenital limb deficiency that meant her left arm stopped below the elbow.

In school, Enas - from the Hyde Park area of Leeds - said she was teased by some pupils when wearing her 'heavy' prosthetic arm and chose to mainly manage without it as an adult.

However, inspired by watching the film i-Robot starring Will Smith, Enas dreamed of one day being able to have a bionic arm.

To her amazement, while researching prosthesis, she came across Bristol based Open Bionics 'Hero Arm' - a cutting edge piece of technology which could enable her to improve her life.

Determined Enas set about setting up a crowdfunder to raise the £10,000 for the bionic arm in September 2020, which is not yet available on the NHS.

Just four months later - thanks to donations from friends, family and a charity - Enas was fitted with her very own bionic arm by the company in January.

She told the Yorkshire Evening Post how the arm has transformed her life.

Enas said she has never felt more confident - with the new limb making her feel like bionic-armed Marvel character Misty Knight.

She said she can now learn to master the usually simple tasks of hoovering, drinking from a glass and opening a door.

Enas said: "I honestly have to pinch myself [to believe I have the arm], it feels like I am dreaming.

"I use it all of the time.

"It has been completely life changing."

Enas said she was teased at school due to her condition.

She told the YEP: "When I got to high school I was teased about it, it was very difficult.

"I was wearing a prosthetic arm for show and was not really using it very much for anything.

"It was pointless and made me stand out in the crowd.

"I gave up on wearing it in high school."

Following extensive research online, Enas discovered Open Bionics - a Bristol based company who released the hero arm.

The bionic arms are the first medically approved prostheses of their kind in Britain.

They are tailor-made on a 3D printer and allow for precise movements that other prosthetic hands can't achieve.

Unfortunately. Enas knew she would need to raise the £10,000 to purchase the arm which is not yet available on the NHS.

She set up a crowdfunding page and raised around £4,000 through the support of friends and family.

However, the fundraising target was reached with help from a large donation by the Worshipful Company of Glovers - described by Enas as her 'guardian angels'.

In January, Enas was fitted with the arm.

She said the response from her family and friends has been incredible and 'the outpouring of love incredible'.

Enas added: "I even feel more confident now when I am not wearing it.

"I can now do everything I always wished to be able to do.

"It is the little things, holding a cup, opening a door.

"The main thing is not having to pre-think everything before I do it like I did before.

"There are so many possibilities for me now."

Enas told the YEP how the arm made her feel like her favourite Marvel character, bionic-armed Marvel character Misty Knight.

She said she hoped her story helped raise more awareness into the possibilities of prosthesis and hoped the NHS may provide similar technology in the future.

Enas added: "If we can get more people to know about the arms, there is more of a chance for the NHS to consider it.

"I just want to help raise that awareness.

"The arm has changed my life."