A FORMER paratrooper who was paralysed in an accident can feed himself for the first time in 17 years after being given a robotic arm.
Military veteran Jon Noble (38), from Havant, is only the second person in the UK to own a JACO assistive robotic arm, which is mounted on a motorised wheelchair, thanks to funding from military charities Support Our Paras, Blesma The Limbless Veterans, Help for Heroes, Royal British Legion and ABF The Soldiers Charity and case working and liaison support from SSAFA, the armed forces charity.
Jon, who was badly injured in a road traffic accident in 2003, which left him as a C4 tetraplegic, said: “I cannot wait to hand my dad a pint for the first time and socialise with friends who I have shied away from since leaving service.”
With his sole but limited control of his daily life being through a chin-operated joystick on his electric wheelchair, Jon was left feeling like a “talking mouth with no purpose”, feeling so bad he even avoided seeing friends.
However, the JACO arm is already giving him a new independent lease of life.
“I’m so happy and privileged to get this technology and for the military charities to help me out with funding,” he said.