The Campaign: A Hand for Marco

Hello, I'm Marco Aurelio. I was born in Brazil with a "difference"—a congenital limb deficiency. While I prefer not to label it a disability, the reality is that I live without my right hand, having only a small portion of my arm below the elbow.

Today, I am reaching out to the global community to help me bridge a gap that hard work alone cannot close: the acquisition of a TASKA™ CX bionic hand.

The Challenge: A Global Economic Gap

In 2024, a comprehensive quote from Arm Dynamics estimated the total care at approximately $120,000.00 to $150,000.00 USD.

Why I Need Your Help

This is not a story about not working hard enough. I have a career I am proud of, built over many years as a senior developer. The obstacle is not effort — it is arithmetic, and the arithmetic is done in two different currencies.

The care is priced in US dollars. My life is earned in Brazilian reais. Over the past decade the real has lost a large share of its value against the dollar, and that single fact quietly re-prices everything: a device that is expensive for an American family becomes something closer to unreachable from here. The number on the quote never moves. The distance to it keeps growing.

The hand is expensive in any currency. The exchange rate is what puts it out of reach.

Three other things stack on top of it:

• It is not covered. Advanced multi-articulated prostheses of this class are not something the public system provides, and private plans here do not carry them either.
• Import costs. Bringing a device like this into Brazil adds import duties and taxes on top of a price that is already in the stronger currency.
• The cost is not only the hand. The quote covers the socket fabrication, the clinical fitting, the occupational therapy and the calibration — plus international travel and weeks of accommodation in the United States.

Saving my way there is not a plan, it is a countdown against inflation: by the time the amount was assembled, currency drift and new hardware generations would have moved the target again. That is why I am asking for collective help instead — many small contributions in strong currencies close a gap that a single Brazilian income mathematically cannot.

The Vision: Turning "Difference" into Art

This campaign isn't just about a donation; it's about a story. Inspired by my own journey with prejudice and resilience, I am developing a Cyberpunk/Samurai Superhero universe called Oil on Water.

Its hero is Kuro. He was born without his right hand too, and he spent years being made small for it — until a night that did not behave like a night left him inside a tower holding every book humanity has ever written, and no way out of it.

The part that is not a metaphor

In the story, the arm that frees Kuro does not exist in his world. It exists in this one. The tower is a seam between the two, and it carries exactly one thing across: consequence. Until a hand like his is made real on this side, the door stays shut and he stays in there — reading, waiting, getting ready for a day he cannot schedule.

So he is not a mascot I invented to sell mugs. He is the other end of the same wait. Everything that happens here moves a real hand closer to a real arm — and in the one universe where I get to decide how the story goes, the same moment that opens my door opens his.

Two men. One hand. Neither of us walks free until the other does.

How You Can Support Me

1. Hire Me

The best way to help is to value my skills. I am an experienced Frontend Developer available for remote contracts in the US, Europe, or worldwide.

• View my Portfolio & Resume

2. Collaborate with "The Hero" Art and Story

I am looking for artists and creators to help bring Kuro’s world to life. If you want to contribute your style to the hero art, logos or story, let's talk!

• Explore the Hero Concept

3. Donate Directly

Every dollar counts. Your contribution goes directly toward the prosthetic fund, travel to the US for fitting, and the necessary clinical follow-ups.

• Make a AllSupport

4. Buy from the Shop (Coming Soon)

Soon, you'll be able to buy t-shirts and mugs featuring our Samurai-Cyberpunk hero. Wear the story of resilience.

Transparency & Commitment

I built this website to be a transparent ledger of my journey. I will record and display every donation here. Once the goal is reached, I will document the entire process—the travel, the clinical fitting, and the first time I move my new hand—via video for all my supporters to see.

Final Considerations

The "Hero" project and the shop are more than just fundraising tools; they are the beginning of a creative legacy that I intend to continue long after I receive my prosthesis.

Questions? Let's talk.

I am open to technical discussions about the prosthesis or the project. Feel free to reach out through the contact page.