Before Adam Gray was born, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his hand causing him to be born without one.

Now, because of  scientific advancements, Gray now has an attachable 3D printed hand that can open and close based on the minimal wrist movements he has.

      “The strings are attached to the fingers so that when I bend my wrist, [the 3D hand] bends,” Gray said.

        His 3D printed hand was made specifically for Gray using measurements of his wrist which were then applied to the existing model for the hand.

Gray is a part of a study of over 1000 people in order to make more functional and advanced hands.

       “[The hand] is sometimes an inconvenience more than anything, but [the technology] is going to get more advanced as time goes on,” Gray said.

         As it stands now, the technology in the hand is not advanced enough to move each individual finger. Instead, it can only move all 5 to make a grabbing motion. It cannot be used to type or write, just grab objects such as a tennis ball.

        The most difficult challenge for Gray to overcome was not academics or athletics, but something more personal.

“The stares. A lot of people stare at me and they give weird looks,” Gray said.

       Gray says that over time the stares have improved because people have become more comfortable with it. He says that now people seem interested, and ask him questions.

   “I do enjoy having the hand. I think it is an amazing opportunity,” Gray said.