Ellie May-Weaver: Teen hopes to raise £46k for robotic arm

Ellie-May Weaver was placed into an induced coma after a tipper truck reportedly reversed into her as she was riding her motorbike home from college in Kings Road on December 14, 2021.

The life of the 18-year-old, from Binfield in Bracknell Forest, was left ‘hanging in the balance’ as she suffered from a brain injury, bone fractures and lost the use of her right arm.

READ MORE: Driver caught speeding on M4 in Berkshire

Now, the teen has been told she could lose her right arm due to future issues she could endure from being unable to move it such a muscle wastage and sepsis.

Instead, her family hope to raise £46,000 for a robotic arm which could help with rehabilitation so Ellie can avoid the operation.

“Amputation is not what I want as I am only 18 years old,” said Ellie. “We have been in touch with a company Rebotics Technology who can provide a robotic arm called Myopro that does help with the rehabilitation of my arm and helps my arm hand and fingers to move.

Kings Road, Reading after the incident (Image: Newsquest)

“The only problem we face is the cost of £46,000 that we just don’t have so we are now going to try and fund raise this money but we need as much help as possible.”

READ MORE: In the Dock: Man threatened to publish private sexual photos in court

Ellie, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, said she was ‘depressed’ after the crash and had to go through multiple operations.

“I almost died and sustained many life changing injuries,” she said. “The nurses took my parents into a room and asked if they wanted a priest because it didn’t look good.

“My right lower limb was a complete mess with the front completely missing and I was bleeding externally from a severed artery.

“I had broken ribs on both sides, my right lung was punctured, and the left lung had collapsed.

“My organs inside had been forced up into the chest area, my collarbone was broken in a few places and my right shoulder had been pushed down with so much force that it severed the main artery.”

The teen was in hospital for 10 days where they found she had strokes and seizures resulting in damage to the left side of her brain.

She said: “To this day I still have more surgeries to go with my leg as it’s not quite completely healed.

“My brain injury is doing much better but my right arm does not work, it just hangs and over time there is an increased risk of me catching it or burning it and not knowing because there is no feeling.

READ MORE: JAILED OR GUILTY: Criminals sentenced or with guilty verdicts this week

“This also could lead to infections such as sepsis. Because there is no use of my arm, in time my arm will suffer muscle wastage and will look very withdrawn like skin and bone, it will not look very nice and they will ask me to amputate which will be from just below the shoulder.

“They plan to review my arm situation in the next 12 months regarding this.”

Ellie and her family are now putting out a plea for help so the amputation can be avoided. So far, more than £1,200 has been raised by the family.

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/w893d-robotic-arm