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A Hero’s New Arm

After receiving a special robotic arm, Remi Bateman decided to help other kids get one too.

December 1, 2025
By Ellen Song

As You Read, Think About: How has getting a Hero Arm made a difference in Remi’s life?

Get to Know Remi Bateman
Watch a video to meet Remi and see her robotic arm in action.

Kelly Sansom/Gallery Photography

Remi puts on her Hero Arm.

Remi Bateman loves riding her bike around Bountiful, Utah. But until recently, she could grab only one of the handlebars. Remi was born with a left arm that stops just below the elbow. Her old prosthetic arm was stiff, and she couldn’t control the fingers. She needed help to do many everyday tasks, like cutting up her food or tying her shoes. 

But now Remi has a new robotic arm, called the Hero Arm. It’s changed her life. The arm has special technology that allows Remi to grip even tiny objects. She can do things she couldn’t do before, like stringing beads onto a necklace. 

“I don’t have to ask for so much help anymore,” explains the 10-year-old.

Getting a Hero Arm inspired Remi to help other kids like her.

Early Challenges

Remi has what’s called a limb difference. That term is used to describe people who might be missing all or part of an arm or a leg. 

For Remi, having a limb difference made it difficult to be independent. But that wasn’t the biggest challenge. 

“The hardest part is that people sometimes bully you,” Remi explains. “You want to fit in, but people won’t let you.” 

Remi’s parents knew a better prosthetic arm would boost her confidence. Last year, the family visited Open Bionics. That’s the company that makes the Hero Arm. 

The Hero Arm is created with a 3-D printer. It has sensors that detect movements in the muscles in Remi’s left arm. With just one flex, Remi could move the wrist on the robotic hand, wave, or give a thumbs-up. After trying out the Hero Arm, Remi didn’t want to take it off. 

But there was one problem. The Hero Arm would cost Remi’s family about $24,000. They couldn’t afford that. Remi was crushed.

“I thought, ‘Everyone around me has two hands. Why can’t I have another one?’” she says.

Kelly Sansom/Gallery Photography

Remi's Hero Arm has made riding her bike a lot easier.

Spreading Kindness

In December 2024, Remi’s family shared their story on GoFundMe, a fundraising website. Donations started to pour in, mostly from strangers. Within only a few days, Remi had passed her goal of $24,000. Then came more good news. A businessman offered to pay for Remi’s Hero Arm. 

What would the Batemans do with the money they had raised? Remi knew there were other kids with limb differences whose families couldn’t afford Hero Arms. Though Remi had never met them, she wanted to pay for their robotic arms.

“I know how it feels to have one arm,” she says. “These kids might have been getting picked on at school or feeling left out.”

Remi’s family updated their GoFundMe page. They explained their plan to use the money to help other kids. Before long, even more donations came in. 

In total, the Batemans have raised more than $56,000. They helped pay for Hero Arms for three other kids. 

Remi hopes to help change the lives of more kids with limb differences in the future. In the meantime, she wants all kids to love who they are.

“Continue being yourself!” Remi says. 

Kelly Sansom/Gallery Photography

Remi's Hero Arm has made putting on socks a lot easier.

What Remi Wants You to Know

1. No one likes to be excluded. 

Kids who have limb differences may have a harder time with some activities. But we have feelings too. Ask us to join you at recess. 

 

2. There’s More to Me than my disability.

It’s OK to ask me about my arm, but don’t make it all about that. I also play basketball and like to read. Get to know me! 

 

3. There’s no such thing as normal. 

The world would be a boring place if everyone were the same. Celebrate the things that make you different.

1. What are some challenges Remi Bateman has faced as a person with a limb difference?

2. According to the article, how does the Hero Arm compare with Remi’s old prosthetic arm?

3. Summarize the main ideas of the section “Spreading Kindness.”

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