Tennessee students build robotic hand for new classmate: ‘You changed my life’

Students create a robotic hand for a new classmate

Tennessee students build robotic hand for new classmate 01:20

Attending a new school can be a difficult challenge for any student, but luckily for a 15-year-old in Tennessee, he found a group of innovative students who changed his life.

Sergio Peralta started the new term at Hendersonville High School with a secret — a hand that didn’t fully form.

“The first few days of school, I really felt like hiding my hand,” he told CBS News. “As if nobody would ever find out.”

However, a teacher in the school’s engineering program found out and told Peralta that maybe his classmates could help.

“They ended up offering me, ‘We could build your prosthetic hand,’ and I never expected it,” he said. “Like never in a million years.”

With access to online models and a 3D printer, the group – who didn’t even know if their plan would work – hit the bull’s eye. With the prosthesis, Peralta was able to catch a baseball with his right hand for the first time.

“You changed my life,” Peralta said.

More David Gracenaud

David Begnaud is the senior national correspondent for CBS Mornings, based in New York City.

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