Daisy’s parents adopted her from China when she was 6. The little girl was born missing part of her left leg, and her left hand was underdeveloped. Before they even brought Daisy home, her parents knew that Shriners Hospitals for Children® — Spokane could help their daughter. Now she’s an athletic teen who is always up for a challenge.

“My hand was not actually spread apart, it was webbed together,” Daisy explained. “I had three surgeries on my hand to separate the thumb and the middle finger and the pinky. After my last hand surgery, I had a big leg surgery done.”

At the Spokane Shriners Hospital, Daisy receives treatment and support that helps her work toward her dreams. “I do softball, Little League baseball, volleyball, basketball, anything outside really,” she said.

Her latest interest is mixed martial arts. To help Daisy, her prosthetist suggested a running foot.

“I couldn’t name another amputee that I’ve worked with who wanted to do mixed martial arts,” said Peter Springs, L/PO, pediatric orthotic and prosthetic services manager at the hospital. “You try to adapt to what their desires are and what they want to accomplish.”

The personalized, custom care gives Daisy the opportunity to work toward her dreams. Now Daisy is a regular at a local gym, where she works on her own training and coaches younger kids. In the process, she’s knocking down preconceived notions about what she can accomplish.

A lot of people underestimate my ability to push myself harder,” Daisy said, “but I feel like I can do anything that I can put my mind to.”

Former First Lady Alice — RISING STARS

RISING STARS

To us, all of our patients, and their families, are Rising Stars. Former First Lady Alice Smith is dedicated to helping the patients of Shriners Hospitals for Children live satisfying and productive lives. Her program supports the availability of adaptive and assistive technology that helps them achieve their goals, and become as independent as possible.