To be a nationally ranked athlete is hard, but to be a nationally ranked athlete who is told to stop all physical activity is even harder. At age 11, the doctors told competitive jump-roper Leanne Joyce to immediately stop all physical activity. Born with a heart condition, Leanne's chronic aortic valve stenosis brought her athletic career to a sudden halt, but it opened the door for a fulfilling, new opportunity.
At just 12-years-old Leanne founded the non-profit "Positive Impact For Kids", an organization which raises funds to help hospital staff better meet the emotional and physical needs of pediatric patients by utilizing iPads, Tablets, and games as distraction tools. "Research proves that distraction can help lower a child's pain" offers Sunisha Barbee, Child Life Specialist at WakeMed Children's Hospital in Raleigh, NC.
"Positive Impact For Kids" has donated to at least one hospital in every state and the program is in 83 hospitals nationwide! With over $66,000 in donations, 17-year-old Leanne is well on her way of reaching her goal of raising $100,000 before graduation. To help Leanne with her goal visit https://positiveimpactforkids.org.
This video was produced by Tracy Chevrier and shot/edited by Ryan B. Timms. To see more inspiring videos like this, visit our Facebook page and YouTube channel.