Skagit Valley College’s manufacturing club has partnered with e-NABLE to create a 3D printed prosthetic hand for Mitchell Pawson, a 6-year-old boy from Tacoma, Washington.

Four SVC manufacturing technology students have been actively assembling the prosthetic hand since early March. The students will be presenting the prosthetic hand to Pawson at noon on April 26 in the manufacturing lab on the Mount Vernon campus.

Pawson was born without fully formed fingers on his right hand. The club has made three sizes of the hand that he can use as he ages. Pawson and his mother connected with SVC through the Manufacturing Club’s advisor, Bruce Poole. Poole, department chair of the manufacturing technology program, is Pawson’s great uncle.

“As part of our partnership with e-NABLE, we are fully committed to supporting Mitchell throughout his entire life,” said Poole. “We are excited to go on this journey with him and provide any assistance he may need as he continues to use his new hand.” 

SVC became an e-NABLE chapter in April 2022. Pawson is the club’s first prosthetic recipient. During the pandemic, the club made and distributed strain relief straps for people who wore masks for long periods of time.

e-NABLE is a global community of engineers and designers who utilize 3D printing technology to create prosthetic hands for children in need, either for free or at a low cost.

To learn more about e-NABLE, visit http://enablingthefuture.org.

Find out more about the SVC manufacturing technology program at skagit.edu/manufacturing-technology.