Double Amputee from New Zealand Gets a Mermaid Tail

I don't know about you, but when I was a little girl in my bubble bath, my favorite thing to do was to be a mermaid. I would take the bubbles and created a frothy bikini top, then arrange the bubbles on my feet like a tail. I would submerge under my foamy water and come up with foam in my hair - I was a mermaid just like Ariel in The Little Mermaid!

There was once another little girl who lost both her legs at the knee due to a childhood illness. One day when a little boy asked her what happened to her legs, she replied, "I am a little mermaid." From that day forth, young Nadya Vessey of Auckland, New Zealand dreamed of having a mermaid tail.

Weta Workshops, the Wellington, New Zealand-based film FX industry leader, has been making dreams come true for movies fans for many years. They recently created the creatures, armor and other FX for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Now Weta has used their FX department to create a life-like mermaid tail prosthesis for double amputee Nadya Vessey. Vessey contacted Weta Workshops two years ago and asked if they would be interested in the project. As it turns out, Weta Workshop director Richard Taylor found the project an interesting challenge so Weta agreed.

Reports started to surface yesterday about the amazing mermaid tail prosthetic Weta Workshops created for Nadya Vessey. Composed of wet-suit fabric and plastic molds, with digitally-imaged effects, the life-like mermaid tail features scales which were painted on by hand. Vessey has been seen frolicking in the surf at a local New Zealand harbor withthe mermaid tail on. Reportedly, Nadya can not only swim very well with her new mermaid tail, but the mermaid tail also looks quite "sexy" with its realistic movements.

Imagine what this can mean for other amputees. While not everyone would want a mermaid tail, certainly there are others who might enjoy such an amazing prosthetic device. Plus, if the technology now exists for a mermaid tail prosthesis, it might not be too long before you, too, can become a bionic mermaid, centaur or other mythical creature. Can bionic wings be far behind?

The wonderful thing about such an invention is the impact it will have on the prosthetic industry. While prosthetic mermaid tails may never be in great demand, whatever Weta Workshops added to the mix may benefit future amputees in a practical way.

Having a mermaid tail has been Nadya Vessey's cherished dream ever since she lost her legs. Now this double amputee can finally swim like a mermaid with her beautiful blue bionic tail, compliments of the FX genius of Weta Worksops.

For more articles about mermaids see:

Double Amputee from New Zealand Gets a Mermaid Tail from Weta Workshops

An ocean full of mermaids: Barbie, Skipper, Ariel 'The Little Mermaid,' and mermaid clone dolls

Mermaid Acrostic (Poem)

Disney the Little Mermaid Valentine Ariel doll - swimmingly cute for Valentine's Day

"The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea" Special Edition Review

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