CEO gifted 9-year-old girl a bionic arm — but what she did with the $24,000 she raised left him speechless

When someone genuinely tries to help, the universe finds ways to extend that kindness to others in need. Similarly, a young girl with a limb difference extended the same courtesy to a boy her age, proving that compassion holds no barriers. The 9-year-old resident of Utah, Remi Bateman, was born without her left forearm. Her mother, Jami Bateman, reportedly initiated a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for a multi-grip Hero Arm. However, to her surprise, a CEO stepped in and dramatically alleviated their challenges by deciding to purchase Open Bionics’ prosthetics, as reported by CBS Mornings. By then, the family had already received $24,000 in help from donors. Instead of spending the money on themselves, they decided to help another kid with a similar condition.

The tween girl had been relying on commonly available prostheses since she was six months old, according to the outlet. Such bulky and traditional prosthetic arms did not allow her to move her fingers independently. After her mom came across the promotion of Open Bionics (@openbionics) for its 3D-printed multi-grip “Hero Arm,” she decided Remi should have one. “Her current prosthetic is pretty stationary and doesn’t do a lot,” Jami told the outlet. Remi and her family reportedly traveled from Salt Lake City to the company’s clinic in Denver, Colorado, for an initial fitting.

Remi’s family was hopeful that insurance would cover the advanced prosthetic expenses. “They said no, and that it wasn't medically necessary,” Jami said. According to the little girl’s dad, Josh, the insurance provider firmly believed the technology would help their daughter but ultimately categorized it as a “cosmetic improvement.” When Jami was asked if she would like to say anything to the officials, her message was: “I would say, ‘Why don’t you try living with one hand?’” Like many Americans with medical needs not covered by insurance, Remi and her mom turned to crowdfunding.

The little girl’s story made the local news, and the family managed to raise $24,000 in just four days, according to the outlet. When the interviewer asked Remi about hitting the $24,000 mark in the GoFundMe, she shared, “(By then), I actually was contacted by a very nice man, a CEO in Texas.” Andy Schoonover, CEO of CrowdHealth, a subscriber-based crowdfunding platform for medical bills, stepped in to help Remi with her prosthetic need. After the executive expressed his desire to buy the Hero Arm, Jami shared the news with her daughter. The tween girl's immediate response was to use the raised money to “help more kids.”

That’s when Remi’s mom reached out to 9-year-old Tyraun "Taj" Johnson’s family in Maryland, per CBS News. The kid, born with a partial left hand, was also trying to raise money for a Hero Arm. Taj's mom, Caitlin Skinner, started selling lemonade but managed to raise only $1,500 in four months, per the outlet. She received a call from Remi’s mother, confirming that they’d help her son with his prosthetic need.

The heartwarming incident managed to draw widespread reactions on social media, including from @luischacon2087, who wrote, “(Thanks) to Remi for teaching us human beings to pay it forward to help others.” “Wish there were more people like this, and these insurance companies need to make some changes,” @amber_love5 expressed. @tokiepoke praised Remi, "What a sweetie! She didn’t want a huge Barbie house and candies. She wanted to help more kids like her."