Patience Beard was born with a rare birth defect that prohibited growth of one of her legs. At only 8 months old, Patience’s leg had to be amputated. By the time she reached seventh grade, the prosthetic leg she became comfortable with didn’t deter her from trying out for cheerleading.
Not only did she become the best on her high school team, but Patience also was later accepted onto the University of Arkansas cheerleading squad. She has become known as “the girl with the zebra leg” because of her black-and-white, zebra-striped prosthetic leg and continues to inspire other young adults with prostheses.
Patience and other children have benefited from the excellent work done at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, which was recently awarded the No. 1 ranking for 2013-14 for the combined TSRHC and Children’s Medical Center (CMC) pediatric orthopedic program. With more than 40,000 clinic visits each year, TSRHC has treated more than 210,000 children since its inception in 1921.
Vote now for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children — or any of the other worthy local nonprofits — in the CultureMap Charity Challenge.
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Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty supports the tremendous work done by Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.
Patience Beard's prosthesis hasn't deterred her from becoming a cheerleader for the University of Arkansas.
