Our Story

Spin for Limbs is a bike, walk and family festival supporting limb reconstruction at The Hospital for Sick Children. This is the inaugural year of the event, and its founders, Steve and Jennifer Beatty hope to make it an annual event. This year the event will take place on September 15 at Hidden Valley Park in Burlington.

Our daughter Ellen is our inspiration for this event and the creation of the Spin for Limbs Fund. Ellen was born with Fibular Hemimelia (FH) which, for her, means that she is missing her fibula in her right leg and, at birth, had a deformed tibia and ankle. FH causes a limb length deficiency in her right leg and she will require a series of three surgeries over her young life. She underwent her first surgery and leg lengthening at 21 months of age at Sick Kids. She is pictured here with the lengthening frame (attached to her tibia) that she wore for 8 months.

Limb lengthening is something that changes a child's life forever and gives them the opportunity to live active and full lives. We are very lucky to live in Canada where these surgeries are available to us but the hospitals and teams of medical professionals that do this life changing work need our support. Hospital departments are in constant competition for funding and understandably, non-life-threatening diseases and illnesses are not at the top of the priority list. Additionally, families incur significant physiotherapy and travel and living expenses which are not covered by OHIP or medical insurance. That is why they need our support.

I know that these days it seems like everyone is asking you for money for one cause or another but please consider donating to this one and change a child's life forever!

Thank you, we truly appreciate your support.

Steve, Jennifer, and Ellen Beatty