VIDEO: Big smiles for Peterborough girl as she gets her new arm

Little Lily-Mai was born with part of her left arm missing - but the cheerful four-year-old has not let it stop her having fun with friends at pre-school.

Lily, who attends the South Bretton Pre-school and has three sisters, was given a new ‘bionic’ arm for the first time yesterday, and after mastering how to wiggle her new fingers and hold her mum’s hand, she could not wait to try it out with her friends.

While her glittery, sparkly Frozen themed prosthetic - made using a 3D printer - will help her as she prepares to start school in September, staff at the pre-school are now fund raising to get her an even more advanced arm.

Mum Hannah Drummond (28) from Bretton said watching her youngest daughter try the new arm for the first time was emotional. She said: “I found out at my 20 week scan she did not have a fully developed left arm.

“She had Amnotic Band Syndrome - where she got tangled up with part of the amniotic bands in the womb.

“She is amazing and does everything other children do - she loves playing outside, and playing with her dolls.

“The new arm will help her a lot - she gets frustrated when she is getting dressed, for example.”

Lily’s new arm was created by Mark Bryant, of the 3D Print Shop in Bristol, using a vegetable based plastic. It has been designed to be easy to maintain for Lily-Mai’s family and the pre-school.

Mark said he was ‘apprehensive’ when Lily tried on the arm for the first time. He said: “They take a lot of getting used to - Lily has not had any experience of having anything on her arm for her entire life, so having this lump of plastic strapped to it that has a certain amount of movement is going to take a little while.”

Caela Gargan, deputy manager at the pre-school had put Hannah and Lily-Mai in touch with Mark, and is leading the fundraising campaign to get her a new arm.

She said: “Lily-Mai is a really happy, happy child. She doesn’t let anything stop her.

“Her mobility and dexterity are amazing, she manages to keep up mostly with the other children but we feel like we can do some more for her.

“Seeing her with her new arm was absolutely amazing I don’t think I have felt this emotional in a long time - just to see her face and her mum’s face was amazing.

“It was Mark who said we can do so much more, with more sensors so she can have more mobility.”

The pre-school is aiming to raise £1,800, and has already raised £850 through their Easter fair, and help from Primark in the city.

To donate to help buy the new arm for Lily-Mai, visit https://uk.gofundme.com/lilys-new-arm