A dad whose fingers were ripped off in a horror motorbike crash is taking to the racetrack again – after having his own TOES sewn onto his hand.
Determined Jonas Barber, 31, was so passionate about biking he insisted he would “anything” to return to the sport.
He can now grip the handles of his superbike following a gruelling 12-hour operation.
Two of his toes were removed before being grafted onto his right hand by pioneering surgeon Prof Simon Kay, who carried out the UK’s first hand transplant in December.
Father-of-three Jonas, from Leeds, West Yorks, said: “They aren’t the prettiest of things but I don’t really care.
“All that matters is that I have some function back.
He added: “I was willing to do anything to get back on the bike.
“But it has also meant I can do all kinds of day-to-day things like hold a laptop or grab a pint.”
The auto-electrics expert, who will soon undergo another operation to remove scar tissue, was injured during a race in Lincolnshire in July 2011.
After the accident, he told his devastated youngest daughter that his fingers would grow back.
Jonas added: “Since I’ve had the toes sewn onto my hand she thinks that’s exactly what happened - and we aren’t about to tell her any different.”
At Spire Leeds Hospital, Prof Kay surgically removed the toe next to the big toe from each of Jonas’ feet, providing him with large enough substitutes for his missing digits that didn’t adversely affect foot function.
The surgeon has carried out the procedure on babies and very young children but says adult patients for the op are very rare.
He said: “In the case of Jonas, he was a great patient because he has the right personality – he doesn’t want to be dramatic or make a big fuss.
“He just wants to sort himself out and get on with his life.”
Prof Kay added: “The operation gives you some feeling, some movement, some power.
"We aren’t trying to create something beautiful, we’re trying to create something functional.”
Source : The Sun
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