University creates prosthetic leg cover for bride

Print experts at a university have made a bride's wedding extra special by designing a bespoke covering to go over her prosthetic leg.

Staff from the Centre for Print Research (CFPR) at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol designed the patterned covering after the mother of teacher Shannon Mitchell contacted them ahead of the wedding in April.

The pattern was made by screen printing a blend of oranges and pinks onto thin pink Japanese tissue, transforming the prosthetic into a unique part of 25-year-old Shannon Mitchell's wedding day.

"My prosthetic became part of my outfit," said Shannon, from Newport. "Wearing it on my wedding day gave me confidence and made me feel proud."

She said: "It wasn't just a cover anymore, it was a piece of art that helped tell my story and allowed me to celebrate every part of myself as I danced the night away.

Shannon wore the cover as part of her full-length wedding dress on the wedding day itself and then again with a shorter dress and trainers for the evening.

"Before my wedding, my prosthetic cover was a plain white plastic shell that reminded me of a Stormtrooper," she said.

"While it served its purpose, it never felt like part of me or reflected who I am.

"The team transformed it into something beautiful, inspired by my wedding dress and the colours of the day, which allowed me to fully embrace my disability rather than hide it."

The CFPR team looked at the wedding dress and colour scheme during a consultation and scanned a portion of the lace from Shannon's dress before creating the pattern.

They then used pattern-cutting techniques to make the paper appear like it was tattooed to the surface of the prosthetic.

The tissue was then protected from water and damage with a matt varnish.

"We are always looking forward to finding new ways to innovate printmaking," said Laura Clarke, a senior research technician in multidisciplinary print at CFPR.

"This one was particularly exciting because it was so personal and significant to the client.

"We really wanted all of her ideas to be considered."

She said it was the first prosthetic cover the team had made.

"The positive response has inspired us to explore even more bespoke designs," said CFPR Director Prof Carinna Parraman.

"We look forward to developing unique solutions, from custom poems to intricate patterns, for future clients."

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