85th GAME AMBASSADORS

Nine-year-old Leigh Marie Dittman of Lutz, Fla., will represent Shriners Hospitals for Children® as a patient ambassador for the 85th East-West Shrine Game®.

A fourth grader at Lutz Elementary School, Leigh is in the gifted program and belongs to the Odyssey of the Mind Club. She is a huge fan of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team and the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.

Leigh has been a patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Tampa since shortly after her birth. She was diagnosed with osteogenesis imperfecta, commonly known as brittle bone disease. She was the youngest patient admitted into a Shriners Hospitals for Children research study using a medication called Pamidronate. The care and treatment Leigh receives has helped decrease the number of fractures she has had, lessened her pain and increased her mobility.

Full of enthusiasm and compassion, Leigh and her generous spirit have touched the lives of many people. When she was 3, Leigh expressed to her family that she wanted to help other kids, because Shriners Hospitals for Children was helping her. So, instead of receiving toys for her birthday, she requested donations to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children! This yearly fundraising event has grown from a backyard party into a huge celebration with more than 700 people attending the 6th annual event in September. Leigh and her family have raised more than $250,000 dollars for Shriners Hospitals for Children.