e-NABLE the Future by Fenton

e-NABLE the Future by Fenton - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

To live without an arm or hand is almost unimaginable. Millions of people are either born without or have lost to an arm. In third world countries, many of those people cannot afford normal prosthetics. Because of their missing appendage, they are often left jobless and cast out from society.

That is where e-NABLE comes in. e-NABLE is a non-profit organization that 3D prints arms and hands that are sent all over the world for a cost of less than $20 per prosthetic. In order to provide enough hands to satisfy the need, e-NABLE reaches out to several universities and organizations for help. That’s where my story begins.

I was first introduced to e-NABLE as a Sophomore through my high school FRC robotics team. Two years before I had joined, a couple students had heard about this organization and decided to help. It was a small contribution - a few arms printed in someone's basement - but enough to get the project started. After the older students graduated, the project faded with them.

Back then I did not really know the full purpose of e-NABLE; I did not have my heart in it. I understood the functional value of it but not the emotional. It was not until last year when I met Jen Owen, the founder of e-NABLE, that I realized the true purpose of this project. While her presentation and vision caught my attention, it was the password on her phone that stuck with me. As she typed her password right in front of me, for some reason, I could not look away. The password to her phone was the word Love. That is when it hit me. This project is about spreading love. It is not about politics or personal gain. It is about spreading love to every corner of the earth. And at that moment, I fell in love with e-NABLE.

Since then, I approached the Novi Public Library, Novi Community School District and my robotics team and asked them to lend a helping hand with this project. At the Novi Public Library, we are holding “Assembly Nights” in which members of the community can volunteer to assemble arms and experience this project first hand. At five Novi Elementary schools, we are holding “Assembly Days” in which fourth graders assemble arms with the support of high schoolers so that young kids can learn about STEM and how to give back to society. Our robotics team is taking in custom fit orders from people all over the world with the hope to build a lasting relationship with them. In addition to that, we are spreading word of our project to other communities through television news coverage, social media (Novi Frog Force e-NABLE), and a press release conference https://www.wxyz.com/news/region/oakland-county/local-students-use-3d-printers-to-create-prosthetic-hands-for-children-around-the-world . My goal for this project is to print +200 arms annually and to build a foundation that lasts and grows.

Every moment I spend on this project the more I learn. I have gained knowledge about engineering working with the 3D printer, along with the skills (including CAD - Computer Aided Design) for designing hands. I also have learned a lot about prosthetics and the medical field from a retired orthopedic surgeon. I have also learned the importance of networking and division of labor. Running this project has been like running my own miniature business. I also learned a lot more about what I want to do in my future. More of this.

The reason I love this project is because it is pure. In today’s society, it is unusual to find companies or projects that are truly dedicated to improving people's lives, and not financial gain. e-NABLE is built on the belief that by combining technology and communities we can build a better future. e-NABLE is hope; e-NABLE is love.