Bradley White had several open-heart surgeries as a child, along with the addition of a defibrillator, all in dealing with complications caused by a tumor on his heart. At 16, due to an irregular heartbeat being caused by the tumor, doctors at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital contacted Materialise in the hopes they could create 3D-printed model of his heart and tumor so that they could make a better assessment of whether or not to operate. In looking at the 3D-printed model they realized operating could be very risky for Bradley and they decided to perform ablations instead, with success. More details on this incredible medical use of 3D printing can be found here: http://3dprint.com/15491/3d-printed-model-tumor-heart/

Below is a picture of Bradley holding his heart, quite literally.