Missouri mother given new prosthetic arm after theft

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- A Kansas City, Missouri, woman is being given a new prosthetic arm to replace one stolen from her minivan in September.

Twenty-nine-year-old Gaby Carmona had done without since the theft because the $120,000 replacement cost had been too pricey, The Kansas City Star reported. She's getting the new arm thanks to the generosity of a manufacturer and others.

Carmona was born without a left arm as a result of a congenital trait. She received her first prosthetic limb when she was 8, and used it until last year when she got a myoelectric arm. She had been able to get the high-tech prosthesis because she had health insurance through a full-time job that no longer exists.

The mother of five got a surprise Tuesday when she arrived at Advanced Arm Dynamics in Overland Park to be assessed for a less costly prosthesis that's largely for balance, but has no muscle control of fingers. Instead she was getting a high-tech replacement.

"I will never forget this day," Carmona said. "I will never forget what people did for me. My heart is pounding."

SteeperUSA made and donated the prosthetic. Advanced Arm Dynamics will provide time, fitting and training for the new arm. A local family also donated a myoelectric arm from a relative who died. Electrodes from that arm will be used for Carmona's new one. The older arm will serve as a backup.

She said that after seeing the "worst of people," she's now "seen the best, too."

Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com