Robo-dad reporting for duty.
An ex-Marine and father of one who lost an arm in Afghanistan got his power back — and then some — after receiving a custom-made, superhero-like prosthetic replacement that can lift up to 400 pounds.
“It’s the only prosthetic that I can do things with and trust it,” Corporal Sebastian Guadalupe Gallegos told South West News Service.
Gallegos, 32, lost his arm in 2010 after being hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). He struggled to adapt, trying 15 traditional prosthetics, but none seemed to suit his active lifestyle.
The arms would break constantly — sometimes even during simple tasks such as carrying groceries.
“Grocery bags will break them. It’s the torque motion when they swing back and forth or carrying water jugs,” Gallegos added, “prosthetics would [only] be able to lift maybe three to five pounds.”
The San Antonio, Texas resident had enough letdowns, so with the help of engineer friend George Schroeder, he developed an aluminum and carbon-fiber arm a year and a half ago.
“My new arm doesn’t look like an arm. A lot of prosthetics look natural and that’s why they’re so fragile. They’re so small,” he said.
His prosthetic arm, which he enjoys decorating with cultural symbols and skulls, allows him to lift heavier loads without buckling.
“The most I’ve dead-lifted was 400 lbs. — 75 pounds is what I’ve pulled safely,” the avid gymgoer said.
Aside from lifting properly, Gallegos can now feel confident when picking up his one-year-old son, Xolo.
“Being a dad is the actual reason I’m most grateful for the prosthetic. When I carry my son, I’m almost exclusively using the prosthetic,” he added.
Xolo reportedly loves his father’s unique look.
“He loves it. It’s really cute. He thinks people with both arms are the weirder ones,” Gallegos chuckled.
The proud papa’s superhero-like appendage has brought him a lot of attention on his TikTok account, @tejano_space_cowboy — followers often compare him to video game characters or the Marvel superhero “The Winter Soldier.”
“Bro is Johnny Silverhand,” wrote a jokester.
“I don’t mean it in any bad way but your robot arm is soo cool,” another commented.