John Peck’s Journey(NEW YORK) — A former U.S. Marine who last year had a double arm transplant celebrated the advent of 2017 a little early by wiggling his fingers to show his progress.
A new video posted last week captures the moment when John Peck, 31, was able to move his fingers by slightly bending them. The small movement is a sign that Peck is continuing to gain control over his new limbs.
Peck had both his arms and legs amputated after he stepped on an explosive device while serving in the Marines in Afghanistan in 2010.
He got his two new arms in a transplant operation in August at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and has since been undergoing intensive physical therapy to help him gain function in the new limbs. Rehabilitation is key in arm transplants since nerves grow extremely slowly, making the limbs difficult to control initially.
When Peck spoke publicly for the first time about his transplant in October, he said he hoped that he could someday reach his goal of becoming a chef thanks to his new hands and arms.
Dr. David Crandell, the amputee program medical director at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network in Boston, said at the time that Peck’s skills and drive as a Marine were evident in his rehabilitation efforts.
Peck brought “an intensity to all his therapy, which is clearly evident,” Crandell said.
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