Marine veteran wiggles his fingers just 4 months after receiving double arm transplant

We all take for granted the ability to move our fingers. 

But for Marine sergeant John Peck, watching his left hand wiggle ever so slightly was the best Christmas present imaginable.

It is barely over four months since the 31-year-old received a double arm transplant, having lost all four limbs to an IED while serving in Afghanistan in 2010.

The procedure performed at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital was incredibly complicated, with doctors trying their best to wire together Peck’s nerves with the donor’s.

And now, in a heart-melting video, Peck has shared the moment he giggled and squealed watching his left-hand fingers move on Christmas.

‘Get them fingers moving,’ he says to himself before pulsing them up and down five times.

‘They’re moving!’ he screams.

The video posted to his Facebook page on Wednesday was met with thousands of replies from fans following his journey.

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Joy: Veteran Marine sergeant John Peck has shared a video of his joy watching his left hand wiggle ever so slightly on Christmas, not long after he got a double arm transplant

It comes just a few weeks after he shared a video showing how he could move his right elbow.  

In that video, he beams at the camera as his physiotherapist straps the wheeled block onto his arm.

Viewers then watch as Peck visibly strains to push it away from him, and back to his chest, over and over again. 

Finally, after reaching his total, he says, ‘cool!’ 

Peck stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) in 2010, obliterating his legs and left arm. He later lost the other arm to an infection.

This year, the decorated veteran has made it through a 14-hour operation to receive two new arms.

Appearing before reporters in August, Peck’s arms were scarred and moved awkwardly. But his doctors said they expect nine to 12 months of rehabilitation.

Speaking at the press conference at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Peck said the best things about it all is that he can hold his fiancee’s hand again. 

John Peck, 31, received double arm transplant in August in Boston hospital. Earlier this month he shared a video showing the progress he has made with his right arm

Peck received a double arm transplant six years after stepping on a homemade bomb in Afghanistan in 2010. He is pictured after his operation

A team of 12 surgeons and another dozen of different specialisms at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital worked nearly 14 hours to perform the bilateral arm transplant (pictured)

Peck faces 12 months of rehab to learn how to lift his arms, his fingers, use a fork, and write

He said he cannot stop staring at his ‘perfect’ arms which match his skin tone and body

‘I wanted to move forward with my life,’ he said.

‘It’s kind of been on a time-out right now.’

It has been a long journey for the Illinois-born Marine, who is now a motivational speaker and hopes to use his new arms to fulfill his dream of becoming a chef. 

Three years before losing his limbs, Peck was serving in Iraq. 

During his service he suffered a traumatic brain injury when his vehicle hit an IED.

Undeterred, he went on to serve in Afghanistan.

Peck (left) before losing his arms, and (right) in hospital in 2010 after stepping on a bomb

The Illinois-born Marine said he hated his prosthetic limbs, and feared it would be for life

Peck was approved for a double arm transplant in August 2014

In 2010, he stepped on another IED. It exploded, obliterating all four of his limbs.

Peck was approved for a double arm transplant in August 2014.

Two years later, he received a call telling him to come in to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for the procedure.

A team of 12 surgeons and another dozen of different specialisms worked nearly 14 hours to perform the bilateral arm transplant. 

‘As soon as Dr Talbot called me, I knew, and I just broke down.

‘I was crying because I was happy. But then my mind switched and it became… I mean, somebody died.

He received a call telling him to come in for the procedure in August this year

Dr Simon Talbot examines Peck’s stumps as they get ready to perform the surgery

Mixed feelings: Peck said he was excited but sad to think that his donor had died

The team marked out the points at which they could attach the skin and rewire the nerves

This is one of the images taken during the lengthy operation

‘I just want [the donor family] to know that this gift, it’s not going to go to waste at all.’ 

The first thing he did was to put a bracelet honoring his Marine brothers on his wrist. 

He now faces months of rehab to learn how to lift his arms, flex his fingers, use a fork, and write. 

But for now, he is content simply marveling at his new arms.  

‘I loved them the minute I looked at them,’ he said.

‘I looked down, it seemed natural. It was just a perfect match. The skin color is a perfect match, the size – of course I had swelling but the size is a perfect match. Everything was just perfect.’ 

Shortly after his operation in August, Peck proposed to his girlfriend Sara Paker.  

Shortly after his operation in August, Peck proposed to his girlfriend Sara Paker (pictured)

Peck said he was just excited to hold Sara’s hand again