Seven-year-old Faith Lennox never thought she needed a left hand ; after all , she could n't remember losing hers when she was only 9 months old . The 7-year-old , grabbed the replacement as soon as it came off a 3-D printer on Tuesday in Los Alamitos , California . She put it on and raced off on her bicycle . Later , Faith happily showed off the hand to others , flexing its pink and blue fingers as she gripped her small , stuffed 'Finding Nemo ' fish . The prosthetic was constructed overnight at the Build It Workspace studio . It represents a breakthrough in small , lightweight hands that are economical and easy for children to use . Scroll down for video . She does n't need any help : Faith Lennox , 7 , right , smiles as she holds an extra plastic prosthetics part with her newly 3-D printed hand at the Build it Workspace in Los Alamitos , California on Tuesday . A new addition : Faith Lennox , 7 , adjusts her newly 3-D printed hand which is the result of an emerging technology that is revolutionizing prosthetics . But when it came to getting one custom made in a day by a 3-D printer , that was a different story . Particularly when she got to pick the colors — her favorite pink , blue and purple , like the ones on the tank top she was wearing . It did n't hurt , either , that the appendage , called a robohand , looks a lot like the pair Marvel superhero Iron Man wears . 'It 's really cool ! ' the otherwise shy little girl said with an exuberant grin as she stood surrounded by high-tech computers in the Build It Workspace in this Orange County suburb on Monday . Build It Workspace is a 3-D printer studio that teaches people to use high-tech printers and provides access to them for projects . It also does commercial printing . She had gotten out of school early to go there with her mother , Nicole , to watch in fascination as her new hand began to take shape . She stood for several minutes transfixed as it slowly moved from computer image to hard-plastic reality . The finished product will be the result of an emerging technology that is revolutionizing prosthetics , said Build It 's Mark Lengsfeld , especially for children like Faith , who quickly outgrow expensive prosthetic limbs and have trouble even using them because of their size and weight . Many functions : Faith Lennox , 7 , rides her bicycle with her newly 3D printed hand outside the Build it Workspace parking lot on Tuesday . Cool tricks : Greg Lennox holds a 'Nemo ' plastic fish as his daughter Faith grabs it with her newly 3-D printed hand as her mother , Nicole and Build it Workspace president , Mark Lengsfeld , looks on . 'It 's an amazing thing to be doing , ' the company 's president and founder said of making a hand that weighs less than a pound out of the same kind of plastic used in automobile parts . Although Lengsfeld 's company has printed out everything from pumps for oil and gas companies to parts for unmanned aerial vehicles , this is the first hand he and his three employees have built . Airwolf 3D , whose printers built Faith 's hand , recently cranked out 200 hands for children around the world as part of an international competition to see which company could use the most 3-D printers in one space at one time . Airwolf , with 159 printers going , won by one , said the company 's creative director , Tyler Caros , who was keeping watch on Monday as the hard plastic going into Faith 's hand slowly unspooled . In love with her hand : Faith Lennox , 7 , left , forms a heart with her newly 3D printed hand on Tuesday . Going for a ride : Faith Lennox , 7 , adjusts her helmet before riding her bicycle with her newly 3D printed hand outside Build it Workspace in Los Alamitos , California . The oldest of three children , Faith had compartment syndrome when her position during childbirth cut off the flow of blood to her left forearm , irreparably damaging tissue , muscle and bone . After nine months of trying to save the limb , doctors determined they had to amputate just below the elbow . Faith 's parents were working with the nonprofit group E-Nable to get her a 3-D-printed hand , but the technology is so new there 's a waiting list , her mother said . Then she learned of what Lengsfeld 's company could do from a friend whose son visited with his Scout troop . E-Nable provides open-source technology for building the hand , Lengsfeld said , making it economical for anyone with the right printer and a set of instructions to create one . Faith 's only costs $ 50 , and when she outgrows it she can easily build a bigger replacement . 'It 's been an honor to help her , ' he said . The little girl who taught herself to swim at age 3 and surfs with her father already knows what she plans to do when she puts that new hand on . 'Ride my bike ! 'she said with a big grin . Although she 's already a competent rider , she noted that making turns with just one hand can be a little tricky . Family fun : Faith Lennox , 7 , left , shows her mother Nicole her newly 3-D printed hand on Tuesday .
Seven - year - old Faith Lennox got a new 3D printed prosthetic hand on Tuesday . Lennox lost her hand when she was six - months - old due to her position in the womb at childbirth that cut off blood flow to her left forearm . The rambunctious little girl who taught herself to swim at age 3 and surfs with her father already knows she wants to use her strength to ride her bike . Prosthetic limbs can cost thousands of dollars but today 's cost just $ 50 .