When 9-year-old Remi Bateman, born without a left hand, first tried a Hero Arm prosthetic, she was thrilled. The advanced, lightweight bionic arm allowed her to cut her food with a knife and fork, carry plates with two hands, and even swipe her dad’s hat — all things she’d never done before.

“I loved it so much — I could function like a full human,” Remi said. She was excited to order her new arm in pink. However, the excitement quickly turned to disappointment when her family’s health insurance company, Select Health, denied the $24,000 cost of the Hero Arm, deeming it “not medically necessary” and for “cosmetic use only.”

Despite filing two appeals, the Batemans were left heartbroken. “It broke our hearts,” said Jami Bateman, Remi’s mom. “Remi cried when I told her because we’d all been so hopeful.” Determined to find another way, Jami turned to crowdfunding. The family started a GoFundMe campaign in December, hoping for support.

Remi Bateman tries out a Hero Arm during a visit to Open Bionics in Denver this fall. Photo courtesy of the Bateman family

What they didn’t expect was the outpouring of generosity that followed. Within days, they raised over $30,000—surpassing their original goal. “People were furious on our behalf,” Jami said. “Everyone was as angry as we were.” But the kindness didn’t stop there. Andy Schoonover, CEO of CrowdHealth, heard about the campaign and reached out to the family.

His company wanted to cover the entire cost of Remi’s Hero Arm as part of their holiday giving initiative. Schoonover sent a check directly to Open Bionics, ensuring Remi’s new arm would be ready in January. With her Hero Arm fully funded, Remi and her family faced a choice: what to do with the money raised through GoFundMe. Remi had an immediate answer. She wanted to help others.

She came to me and said, ‘Mom, I know how it feels to have one hand. Is there someone else we can help?’” Jami said.

The Batemans connected with Open Bionics and discovered Tyraun “Taj” Johnson Jr., another 9-year-old born without a left hand. Taj, from Maryland, had been selling lemonade to raise money for his own Hero Arm. His GoFundMe campaign had only reached $1,500 when Remi’s family decided to donate their remaining funds to help him.

Tyraun “Taj” Johnson, 9, was born without a left hand. Remi decided to give her GoFundMe proceeds to him so he could get a robotic arm. Photo courtesy of Caisyn Skinner

“I’m looking forward to playing sports with my Hero Arm,” Taj said. “I’m really happy that Remi thought about me.” His mother, Kaitlin Skinner, was moved to tears. “She wanted to give my son an opportunity that I was unable to give him. It just touched my heart,” Skinner said.

Now, both Remi and Taj are looking forward to their new arms, and Remi isn’t stopping there. Inspired by the generosity shown to her, she’s continuing to raise money to help another child named Faith get a Hero Arm. “This has been life-changing for our family,” Jami said. “People shouldn’t have to rely on fundraisers for something so essential, but the kindness of strangers has made miracles happen for these kids.”

Watch below for a look at the Hero Arm.