A teen with a limb difference is appealing for a bionic arm - to help her drive, read and push a trolley in Sainsbury's.

Sadie Stoddard, 17, was born without the lower part of her right arm but she didn't let it hold her back.

From a young age she was able to be independent and practice sports her own way - including horse riding and football playing.

Sadie used a NHS prosthetic arm as a toddler but she would take it off and throw it every time.

Eventually she stopped using it as she felt it was hampering her independence.

But when she entered senior school she started hiding her arm way and it became tiring for her to doing everything one handed.

Sadie said with her starting university next year, a high-tech bionic arm 'Hero Pro' would enable her to complete everyday tasks.

Sadie from Winnash, Berkshire said: "The bionic arm will help me to enhance my life in so many ways, such as independently pushing a trolley and handling shopping tasks alone."

"It would make my life so much easier to style my hair independently. "

"As a teenage girl I love to experiment with different styles."

"When doing exams and reading I will be able to hold any books, also keeping the paper flat and still without worrying about the paper slipping."

Mum Sarah Stoddard, 48, added: "At secondary school she was having to ask for help and that was quite difficult at times when everyone is busy. "

"A Hero Arm would give her independence and the ability to go out in the world and get more independent going into adulthood."

"She is reading a book and has to lay on her front and put the book flat. It is really hard holding a book one handed and do her studying. "

"She'd be able to do her hair, dry her hair, hold her straightener - all the girly things."

"It is also being able to put two hands on the steering wheel because doing driving lessons gets really tiring with one hand. "

"She'd even be able to go to Sainsbury's and just do a little bit of shopping for me and push the trolly around."



"She'd be able to hold a door but still be able to hold her drink."

'Hero Arm' is muscle-activated and uses Myoelectrics meaning users can control it without the use of their remaining limb.

The high-tech bionic arm can pick up a maximum of 25kg - which would be life-changing to Sadie.

"She'll have the holding hand that she hasn't had her whole life," added Sarah."

"She will be able to go to the gym and workout properly to strengthen her right side."

Growing up Sadie never realised that she was missing a hand, founding a way to do everything.

Sarah said: "She has always been confident and always found a way to do things with certain adaptions. "

"She learned to tie a shoelace one handed."

"She found a way to do everything. But me and her dad and family did probably support her quite a lot. "

"It wasn't until she went to secondary school that it became tiring for her to doing everything one handed."

"She was worried about getting an attachment for an arm because she felt like it wouldn't feel real and it would not look good."

But after trying the Hero Arm Sadie saw a solution to improve her daily life.

She said the experience was "mind-blowing"."



"Suddenly I was moving a hand that wasn't even attached to me. "

"I couldn't believe it, muscles and nerves I didn't know existed suddenly worked. "

"When the hand closed for the first time, I thought it in my brain, and it happened. I was so happy I wanted to cry," Sadie said."

To raise funds for the arm which costs £20k Sadie is selling her and her family's clothes on Vinted.

A campaign has currently raised nearly £8k with other fundraising set to take place in early 2026, including a runner who is set to take on the Thames Path Ultra Challenge for Sadie's benefit.

Sarah said despite at times being a challenge to accept her physical appearance, this fundraising is giving her confidence to accept herself.

She added: "It is giving her confidence to help somebody else that might struggling to live with missing a limb."

"She is a really good role model for all of that."

Her mum said that her dream would be a presenter one day.

"She would love to be a TV or radio presenter and so something related to the creative side or even marketing. "

"She is such a good communicator."

To help raising funds for Sadie's Hero Arm visit this link here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sadies-hero-pro-fund