A CHRISTMAS wish has come true for teenager Paige Cox as she reached a £20,000 fund-raising target for a bionic arm which will transform her life.

Paige, aged 18, of Wiveliscombe, who was born without a right hand, has now been for a Hero Pro arm fitting with Bristol firm Open Bionics Foundation.

The company, which makes medically-approved, functional and lightweight 3D-printed bionic limbs, will start making Paige’s new arm early in January.

Paige, who attends Richard Huish College, Taunton, had wanted a career in the Armed Forces, but was ruled out because of her disability and has now been provisionally accepted to study at Bournemouth University to become a crime scenes investigator.

Now, she is looking forward to being able to more easily take part in everyday activities such as cooking and playing sports, controlling her bionic hand with her own subtle muscle movements

Her father Jon Cox, a former Royal Navy Reservist for 21 years, who helped organise the fund-raising, said he was thrilled the prosthetic hand was becoming a reality for Paige.

Mr Cox, a chimney sweep who lives in Winsford, on Exmoor, said nearly £5,000 was brought in after the Wellington Weekly featured Paige on its front page in November, and the final £500 was being met by the Barnaby Webber Foundation, set up to support young people facing life challenges.

He said: “Paige is so excited and I cannot wait for her to get it and see how she gets on.

“The arm she is getting is a slight upgrade on the original, with Bluetooth technology and more functions.

“The first hand had 16 movements and this one has 64.

“We would like to thank everybody who has helped with the funding, every little donation has been a big help.”