Christmas Wish Comes True For L.I. Boy Born Without Arm

EAST NORTHPORT, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Hundreds of people helped make a Christmas wish come true for a 6-year-old boy on Long Island.

Christopher Kiezek of East Northport was born without most of his left arm. This year, he told Santa Claus he wanted an Xbox One and a new prosthetic arm with fingers so that he can play games on the system.

But his family's health insurance would not cover a new prosthetic because it is not deemed medically necessary to Christopher's life.

That's when a family friend set up an online fund to help raise money for a new prosthetic for Christopher.

Robert Jackson, who started the campaign, said it would cost about $45,000 for a new arm but was hoping to raise $25,000.

Donations poured in and more than $60,000 was raised, well above their goal. The money enabled the Kiezek family to buy Christopher a new arm and hand, which he unwrapped Christmas morning.

"The first thing he did was put it on and he said it was going to be fun," Christopher's mother, Christine Kiezek, told 1010 WINS. "There was a letter from Santa in the box, he was holding it with the prosthetic, trying to open it."

Nearly 1,000 people donated to the online fund in just 15 days and Christine Kiezek said the family is "totally overwhelmed."

"I think it's fantastic," she said. "Cannot believe the outpouring from all our friends, our family, complete strangers -- it was incredible."

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