Burglar swipes device that controls prosthetic hand of triple-amputee veteran

A Texas veteran who lost both legs and much of his right arm to an IED in Afghanistan was left to relive his experience when a heartless thief stole the device he uses to control his prosthetic right hand last week.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ben Eberle, 27, told the San Antonio Express-News he left the device in the center console of his pickup truck overnight and awoke Friday to find the driver’s side door window smashed and the critical device gone.

The iPod Touch has an application called i-limb, which Eberle uses to achieve hand movements he otherwise could not due to extensive nerve damage.

Because Eberle’s prosthetic hand is programmed to only work with the stolen iPod, and vice versa, he will have to replace both, he told the newspaper.

“That takes a long time,” Eberle said. “It’s tedious and it’s a lot of work with the hand itself.” More