Odsal fire station backs Jacob Scrimshaw's dream of prosthetic arm

Jacob Scrimshaw, who was born eight weeks premature without his left arm, had an emotional meltdown last Christmas shortly after starting primary school.

He told his mum in tears that he wanted to play like the other boys in his class and do everyday tasks like opening a packet of crisps by himself.

Jacob doesn’t have an elbow joint which means he has limited options in the UK for a prosthetic arm.

Now a fundraiser has been launched to fly Jacob to the USA for an electric body powered arm that moves with sensors.

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Parents Gemma Turner and Chris Scrimshaw need to raise enough money not only for this trip but for future repairs and new arms as he grows up.

The cost of a full adult arm can cost around £100,000.

Jacob Scrimshaw with Odsal firefighters (from left) watchcommander Andy Horsley, Andy Clarke, John Phelan, Matt Daly, Iain McCaig

But firefighters from Odsal fire station are taking on a 127 mile cycling challenge with hopes of raising thousands towards the cause.

Mr Scrimshaw, a fellow Odsal firefighter, said: “Everybody just wants to see their kid happy in whatever they do.

“What people can spend on a house, people spend on a few motors and a bit of plastic. We’re just going to have to fundraise over time and hope that technology does move on.”

Odsal Blue Watch have now started to train for the fundraiser along the Leeds and Liverpool canal on July 11.

Jacob Scrimshaw 4. with brother Sebastian, mum Gemma Turner and dad Christopher

Firefighter Iain McCaig explained how the arm is a chance for Jacob to regain confidence.

Mr McCaig said: “It’s something that’s never previously affected him.”

It’s a sentiment shared by Jacob’s mum who said, despite being open about his arm, the curiosity of his peers is making Jacob feel ‘fed up’.

She said: “It was hard when he said how he felt. It breaks your heart that they’re only four and they feel like that. We worry about when they get older.

“He doesn’t want it to look like an arm, he wants it green and to look like a ‘Hulk’ arm. He can’t play with Lego, just little things like that that little boys like to play with.”

Jacob gets a driver's-eye-view in one of the engines at Odsal Fire Station

“We’ve had people just paying into his account. People that we don’t even know. It does make me feel really happy,” she said.

Jacob’s dad hopes more arms will be developed in the UK in the future.

“It’s just added costs and finances. When you’re going for an arm you have to get measured and tweaked and, if anything goes wrong, the costs would just be extortionate.

“I’m not expecting the fundraising to be a quick fix. It might not be this year,” he said.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/odsal-firefighters.