Some kids break a window playing baseball. Zane breaks his prosthetic devices. Fourteen of them, to be exact. The 8-year-old was born with a limb difference and was referred to Shriners Children’s St. Louis at just 4 months old. Since then, the hospital’s orthotic and prosthetic team has custom-built device after device so Zane can do what every other kid does on a Saturday: run, jump, slide into second base, and chase down a puck.
He plays soccer, baseball, basketball and hockey. His mom, Kim, says he wants to become a professional athlete, and nobody who’s watched him play would tell him otherwise. In his own words, the orthotics let him “run, jump, do whatever I like.” But the real headline here is what Zane did off the field. He organized his own baseball fundraiser and raised close to $4,000 for Shriners. His reason was simple: “There are kids that would never do those things if it weren’t for the funds donated to Shriners.”
For families here on the Suncoast, where adaptive sports programs and youth leagues keep growing, Zane’s story is a reminder of how much a single device, or a single donation, can change a kid’s life. Shriners Children’s St. Louis holds its Day of Giving on Sept. 24. If Zane’s story moved you, that’s the day to act. Know a young athlete on the Gulf Coast with a story like Zane’s? Tell us in the comments.
