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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 2017)
NORTHWEST Wednesday, July 5, 2017 A helping hand East Oregonian Astoria boy is first to receive a 3-D-printed prosthetic arm from an Oregon hospital “There’s this huge need for children who have congenital limb loss. It doesn’t make sense to build them an expensive device they’ll grow out of in one to two years.” By EDWARD STRATTON EO Media Group PORTLAND — Jude Rochon sat patiently in Dr. Albert Chi’s office at Oregon Health & Science University Thursday morning while the prosthetics expert performed surgery on Jude’s right hand and forearm with scissors, metal snaps and a lighter. The 6-year-old Astoria boy, who was born without a right forearm and hand, recently became the first patient to receive 3-D-printed pros- thetics from an Oregon hospital, part of Chi’s quest to help provide low-cost, upper-body limbs. The two prosthetics he received for free from Chi, one with the hand open and another with the hand closed, are made from 20 to 30 3-D-printed biodegradable plastic parts, colored orange and black for Jude’s favorite college team, the Oregon State Beavers. Each cost about $50 in materials. The arms are connected by a nylon harness on Jude’s left shoulder. When he reaches with his upper-right arm forward, a pulley system opens or closes the hand, depending on which prosthetic he’s wearing. The elbows have full range of motion, along with a rotating wrist. After being fitted for an improved harness on his closed hand and cupping a can of San Pellegrino Thursday, Jude shook the hands of older brother Sawyer, father Mike, doctor’s assistant Isaac Womack and Chi. A hand up Jude, who practices about an hour a day with his new arms, is short on words about how the pros- thetics will affect his life. He used one of the prosthetics last week to ride a scooter gifted by OHSU down the hall. “This has helped me with writing,” Jude said, adding his new arm helps hold papers while he writes with his left hand. Asked what the hands might now enable him to do, Jude answered excitedly, “Wrap presents.” Jude is the youngest child of Alivia and Mike Rochon, along with Sawyer and sister Mia. The couple adopted Jude from a special needs group in Shanghai when he was a year old. Page 9A — Dr. Albert Chi Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian Jude Rochon, right, clutches a juice box in his new prosthetic, while being fitted for a new harness by Dr. Albert Chi, left, and assistant Isaac Womack. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian LEFT: Jude Rochon demonstrates how he can grasp items with his new 3D-printed prosthetic arm. Rochon can open and close the hand with the aid of a special harness he wears. RIGHT: Jude’s mother, Alivia Rochon, helps adjust the prosthetic arm that works in conjunction with a harness that helps him control the hand. Alivia said she initially wondered what she should do to accommodate Jude’s disability, but he has always found a way to get things done; be it riding a bike and playing on his youth baseball team to writing and tying his shoes. But Jude recently was bullied by another child, she said, which sapped his confidence and led them to start looking into prosthetics. “It’s hard to see your child lose that confidence,” she said. “In addi- tion to Dr. Chi giving this to Jude to help him physically, what we’ve already seen in him emotionally and in his confidence, it’s already helped him so much.” Alivia’s sister, who works at OHSU, connected the family with Chi, a trauma surgeon, professor and nationally renowned expert in prosthetics, who relocated last year from Johns Hopkins University. By the time Jude received his first prosthetic last week, he and his family were being interviewed by at least two television stations and The Oregonian. “We don’t like the interviews, and the TV, and the hoopla,” Mike said. “It’s for Jude. But it’s sure comforting when you go up there and you realize this guy (Chi) is all about Jude and this tool.” Enabling the Future Chi is a member of Enabling the Future, a global network of volun- teers using 3-D printers to create free prosthetic tools. “There’s this huge need for children who have congenital limb loss,” Chi said. “It doesn’t make sense to build them an expensive device they’ll grow out of in one to two years.” Chi said the budget prosthetics are meant more as tools than fully functional limbs, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. He is developing more advanced 3-D-printed prosthetics incorpo- rating electronics, and hopes to have a new one available for Jude in the coming year. At Johns Hopkins, Chi was the medical director of the targeted muscle reinnervation program, where doctors have reassigned nerves so amputees can move prosthetics by merely thinking about which actions they want to perform. At OHSU, he focuses on improved motor control of pros- thetics, including by eyesight. Chi said his work in advanced and budget prosthetics is equally important to him. “My goal is to really involve the community,” he said. “Anyone in need, I can build them something. I’m hoping we can create a volun- teer group, to provide this to anyone in need. We can have printing clubs in schools.” He said anyone needing an upper body prosthetic or wanting to help make them can contact him directly at chia@ohsu.edu ؏ EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ؏ ENTER THE EAST OREGONIAN’S Part Time - Inside Salesperson MAROON 5 Great work environment. Super awesome team. Good base pay PLUS commissions. Retirement plan. Weekends off . Interested? CONCERT TICKET SWEEPSTAKES We are looking for a motivated, self-confi dent individual to join our inside sales team at East Oregonian in Pendleton. Get a one-year subscription to the East Oregonian (in print or online) for yourself or for someone you love or extend your existing EO subscription for a year at our special price of $150 (a 14% savings!) or donate $150 to the EO’s Newspapers in Education program and you’ll be entered into a drawing for premium tickets to the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest concert featuring Maroon 5 at the Pendleton Round-Up Stadium on July 15! CALL NOW TO ENTER: 800-522-0255 ext. 1 or stop by our offi ce at 211 SE Byers Ave. in Pendleton, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on July 4). GRAND PRIZE – $438 value • Two VIP wristbands for access to the sponsor’s building, with pre-party dinner and open bar starting at 4:30 p.m. • Two Premium Grandstand We have an opening for a part time inside salesperson position. No newspaper experience? No problem, as long as you understand the importance of great customer service, working hard and a desire to enjoy your job. Could this be you? We are seeking a dynamic salesperson to make prospecting phone calls to potential customers and businesses of all types, service existing accounts, be organized and have excellent computer and communication skills. If you’ve been looking for the opportunity to excel in a sales environment, this is it! The right candidate will be organized with a high attention to detail, have a desire to learn and grow their skills and work well in a team environment. Must be very accurate and detail oriented plus have excellent customer service and communication skills. Job qualifi cations include accuracy and speed when typing and spelling, excellent organizational, phone and communication skills. No sales experience required. Part-time, wage plus commission. Benefi ts include Paid Time Off (PTO) and 401(k)/Roth 401(k) retirement plan. concert tickets (Section G, Row C) • One VIP parking pass for lot next to Pendleton Convention Center SECOND PRIZE – $312 value • Three Premium Grandstand concert tickets (Section G, Row C) THIRD PRIZE – $312 value • Three Premium Grandstand concert tickets (Section G, Row D) Deadline for entry: Monday, July 10 at 12 noon. Winners will be drawn July 10 at 1 p.m. and contacted that day. Winners will be announced on July 11 in the East Oregonian and on the EO’s Facebook page. No purchase required. One entry per person. Sweepstakes open to residents of Oregon and Washington age 21+ only. Complete rules can be found at www.eastoregonian.com/eo/sweepstakesrules. Send resume and letter of interest to EO Media Group, PO Box 2048 • Salem, OR 97308-2048, by fax to 503-371-2935 or e-mail hr@eomediagroup.com Come work with us! We are an awesome team.
