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Striking Chords with Nick’s Prosthetic Hand

Nick Horan of York, PA first picked up a guitar at age 13. 80’s thrash metal was his sound of choice as he and his band shredded Metallica and Slayer all day long.

Fourteen years later, Nick’s world was turned upside down: he underwent a hand amputation.

“After my accident, I lost the ability to play the guitar, something that has been a part of me for more than a decade.”

Regaining Ability and Ambition

Nick came to Ability for help, and that’s how he met Marlies.

Marlies Beerli Cabell, an American Board Certified Prosthetist Orthotist (CPO), took on the challenge to design a task-specific functional hand prosthesis, which was made uniquely for Nick.

Nick’s New Prosthetic Hand

With access to knowledgeable and passionate fabricators, Marlies crafted a prosthesis to match Nick’s individual playing style.

“We started by taking the silicone impression of his residual hand so that we could work on the specific successful design,” says Marlies.

The result was a new hand that features a custom guitar pick adaptor, letting him strum the strings without injuring himself.

Playing Riffs without Rifts

Today, Nick is back to coaxing melodies on his guitar. The only difference? He’s added Neil Young to his repertoire alongside his 80’s thrasher favorites.

“Ability has taken on my ambition to regain my musical talents and turned it into a reality,” he says. “They consider no hurdle too high.”

Nick's Practitioner

Marlies Beerli Cabell, CPO

Marlies Beerli Cabell, CPO

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