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Batman and Bruce Wayne
Superman and Clark Kent
Bionicman and Michel Fornassier
Michel Fornassier was born without a right hand. Today he copes with everyday life with the latest high-tech hand, which weighs around 1.2 kilograms and can be programmed using a smartphone app. The bionic hand prosthesis enables Michel not only to train AURUM astronauts, but also to find his way into the heart of people. As a bionicman and founder of the "Give Children a Hand" foundation, he shows how technology can help to exploit a person's potential. A little change in history and the kids have the subconscious of a superhero.
Michel: Belief in yourself and in your dreams. For a long time I struggled to have no right hand. It took me 35 years to make peace with my fate. But then I realized: as a one-handed person, I'm no better or worse than my fellow human beings. It was time to see the glass as half full instead of half empty.
Does your bionic hand prosthesis have super powers? Children often asked me that. She was particularly impressed by my index finger. It has a special coating so that I can use touchscreens. The children thought it was a kind of “Spiderman finger” from which I can fire a thread. The children were my inspiration for Bionicman. I contacted my friend David Boller, a well-known Swiss comic artist. He has worked for Marvel and DC Comics in the United States for a long time and has drawn Superman and Batman, among others. Together we created a superhero with a handicap whose supposed weakness is his strength.
Bionicman's mission is to detach. He builds bridges between people with and without impairments and sensitizes children in particular to the fact that there are also people who go through life in wheelchairs, with impaired eyesight or without hands and arms. It's also about fighting bullying. Children can be very hurtful. To become a victim, the wrong sneakers or an old-fashioned school bag are often enough.
With respect, tolerance and openness, the path would surely be easy. At the end of the day we are all people with or without a handicap.
In Switzerland, twelve people have the privilege of wearing such a modern hand prosthesis. What a human hand does in everyday life is a miracle and remains unattainable for robotics. It took me over 9 months to learn rudimentary grip patterns with my hand prosthesis. This experience made me very grateful to have a healthy, human left hand.
It's a very tricky question. I have many. On the one hand, my superheroes are all kids who, despite their handicap, don't need 35 years to accept themselves. When I played basketball - despite one hand - I admired Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns: he was less than two meters tall, actually much smaller than everyone else in his area, and despite his less than ideal physical conditions, he was not intimidated and lived his dream.
To detach the world and strengthen people's self-esteem. Because everyone has the right to be the hero in the story of their life, whether disabled or not.
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Especially as a teenager you are looking for your identity. Compare to someone you want to be - with a role model. Role models are important, but one shouldn't forget that they always remain out of reach. You are unique. Your role model is never as special as you.
I am a little shy and dreamy. While Bionicman approaches people openly, I prefer to stay in the background privately, meditate, play sports in nature and have recently been training like an astronaut at AURUM.
“Mens sana in corpore sano - healthy mind in a healthy body,” is the saying. We live in a predominantly performance-oriented society, where physical fitness is fundamental. Having a healthy body is not a matter of course, but a gift. Fitness should be fun in the first place.
You have to believe in yourself and never give up your dreams. Living in harmony with your own strengths and weaknesses, learning from others, spending time with people who inspire and meditate to find inner peace. I “work” on it every day, even if I don't always succeed. As with “relieve”. Nobody says it's easy, but nobody says it's impossible. Nothing is impossible! You should also deal with your own strengths and weaknesses, develop a healthy attitude towards yourself and your environment, including sport and life per se. You are ok the way you are. Self-acceptance is the key to self-fulfillment. Each of us is good enough!
My first prosthetic hand looked like the hand of a mannequin. To this day, many people associate prostheses with something dusty, something strange. AURUM shows that strength training can be innovative, clever and progressive. I also want to show this with hand prostheses: They are far more than a 'Captain Hook' hook and carry the magic of a Peter Pan. There are no limits to design and pattern variations. A prosthesis not only makes children's everyday life easier, it also strengthens their self-esteem. First impressions count and they last a lifetime.
If the children know that they are good enough, we can look forward to the future!
Merry Christmas,
Michel
Learn more about:
Michel Fornasier: https://www.michelfornasier.com
Give Children a Hand: https://www.givechildrenahand.com
Bionicman: https://bionicman-official.com
I have a deep passion for movement and sports, and an insatiable curiosity for understanding human nature. While researching the connections between physical vitality, mental acuity, and the pursuit of longevity, I care to share valuable insights and practical tips that can easily be incorporated into our daily lives.
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