Hope for a Brighter Future

Leigh, of Tampa, Fla., was born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), also called brittle bone disease. OI is a genetic disorder caused by imperfectly formed bone collagen that causes bones to break extremely easily. At just three weeks old, Leigh was admitted to Shriners Hospitals for Children — Tampa as the youngest patient in a clinical study just being started on the effects of pamidronate, a medicine given intravenously to patients with OI. Even with the medicine, Leigh has had 20 broken bones, which she says, "is not so fun." She has had rods inserted in her legs to further strengthen the bones. Leigh is in the gifted program at school and is a popular, exuberant, confident child. She is also aware of how much Shriners Hospitals has influenced her life. For her third birthday, she asked that guests bring money to help Shriners Hospitals, instead of toys. Her request has become an annual fundraiser and has raised thousands of dollars for Shriners Hospitals for Children.