Malcolm Taylor doesn鈥檛 mind talking about his arm.

You鈥檙e not going to bring up anything the 14-year-old from the rural southern Vancouver Island community of Cobble Hill hasn鈥檛 already heard.

鈥淚 have had every kind of question,鈥� he assures.

A Grade 9 student at Frances Kelsey Secondary School, Taylor was born with just one hand, his left arm ending just a little bit above the elbow. Last year, he was fitted with a myoelectric arm, which can sense muscle impulses and allows him to open and close the hand simply by flexing the muscles in his residual limb.

Taylor has had different non-electrical prosthetics in the past, and a previous electrical one, but this is the best one he鈥檚 ever had. It鈥檚 not quite state-of-the-art, he says, but it鈥檚 the best in terms of price and functionality.

The arm was paid for by the War Amps CHAMP program. The War Amps began more than 100 years ago to assist war amputee veterans returning from the First World War. It has expanded its programs over the years to support all amputees.

鈥淭hey pay for all my prosthetics,鈥� Taylor points out. 鈥淚t makes life a lot easier.鈥�

Taylor received his current prosthetic about six months ago after working with beta versions before that. The process involved having a cast taken from his arm, getting the prosthetic custom-fitted, and having the electrodes fine-tuned. The work is done by a prosthesist, and isn鈥檛 invasive.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no surgery,鈥� Taylor explains. 鈥淚 can take it on and off at any time.鈥�

The many steps were worth it for the new arm.

鈥淚 can do a lot more things than I could with the other one,鈥� Taylor says.

The myoelectric arm allows for gripping motions that Taylor鈥檚 previous prostetics didn鈥檛, like grabbing a stick.

鈥淚鈥檝e tried throwing things but with little success,鈥� he says, adding that would change with practice. It definitely makes a difference that he grew up without a hand.

鈥淚t would probably be easier for someone who has had a hand before to get the hang of it,鈥� he says.

Taylor鈥檚 previous prosthetics didn鈥檛 have nearly as much going for them.

鈥淗ave you seen a hook hand in a pirate movie?鈥� he asks. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not inaccurate.鈥�

He couldn鈥檛 have picked up a medical face mask with the old one, for example. And the new one works well enough that he doesn鈥檛 have to put one thing down to pick another up.

鈥淚t takes away that extra step that鈥檚 always annoying,鈥� he says.

Taylor will have to get a new prosthetic, eventually, but he can probably get this one refitted before that happens.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e supposed to be very tight,鈥� he relates. 鈥淪o you grow out of them really quickly.鈥�

Other kids at school definitely approve of this one.

鈥淭hey think it鈥檚 really cool,鈥� Taylor says.

Not only is he not shy about discussing the arm, he admits he may even show off from time to time.

鈥淚 can punch walls,鈥� he says with a mischievous laugh. 鈥淪o I do that occasionally.鈥�

For more news from Vancouver Island and beyond delivered daily into your inbox, please