A COUNTY Durham dad is getting ready to open Christmas presents with his son using his brand new bionic hand.

Danny Florence, from Durham, got the advanced bionic hand just in time for Christmas and is busy learning how to do things like change his one-year-old son's nappy for the first time.

The 26-year-old lost both his legs, his right hand and three fingers on his left hand to meningitis when he was five.

His "Hero Arm" is made by Open Bionics in Bristol and is custom built using technology like 3D printing and scanning.

He said: "It's been really, really good.

"I'm managing to work it better than I thought. I've been trying to pick things up. Nine out of ten times I drop it but it's brilliant.

The Northern Echo:

"I've been out and about trying it out at the supermarket. People used to be horrified when they looked at me. People are still looking but it's in amazement so it's a lot more positive."

He added: "It’s very smart. Previously I’ve had a very ugly static hand and this is a very, very nice looking hand. The experience of getting fitted is incredible. You have these expectations, and it exceeds them all.”

Mr Florence, who works for Atom Bank, in Durham, uses prosthetic legs but had previously avoided having a hand because of the options available.

But when Joshua was born last December, he realised how much more he wanted to do to take care of his son and help his partner, Danielle Lilley.

He said: "It sounds disgusting, but I want to be able to change his nappy. I want to be able to feed him, because holding a spoon hurts my hand as well.”

The Northern Echo:

After starting to try and raise the money needed, the company Maxon Motors, which works with Open Bionics to make the prosthetic, stepped in to donate the arm.

Mr Florence added: "My hope for the future is that a lot more people have these accessible to them. Not having a hand can not only cause you to be unable to do things, but it affects you up here as well.

"When you grow up watching all your friends do stuff you can’t, you get very very dark thoughts at times. So I’m just hoping it stops people having to go through that if they have access to it."

Mr Florence thanked Maxon and all the people who had donated to help him get the arm. The money will go towards its maintenance.