Tallinn Spring raises funds for Alberta Children's Hospital

Tallinn Spring celebrated its eighth birthday on Sunday afternoon. He didn't get presents – he didn't want presents.

He asked everyone who attended the skating party at the Cardel Rec Center on Shawville Blvd SE to make a donation to the Alberta Children's Hospital Neurosurgery Unit.

Tallin's drive to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Alberta began when her older sister was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

On his third birthday, Tallinn emptied his jar and gave it to the hospital, and every year he asks everyone who comes to his birthday to pass out gifts and donate.

“So I can raise money for my sister's surgeon to do more research because she has epilepsy and cerebral palsy,” Tallin told CTV News Calgary. “My friend's brother is a Hitman player, so I asked him if he could ask his mom if he could come, and they said yes.”

Tallin had 150 guests who donated between $20 and $150 each, and this year he received that donation from some Calgary Hitmen players.

“It's all his idea. He tells me every year what he wants, and I say okay, let's do it,” said Amy, Tallinn's mother. “He misses a day of class and he has to prepare and he calls a bunch of different companies to accommodate him.”

This year, Taylln reached out to three Calgary businesses and convinced them to match any donation up to $1,000.

On his birthday, he raised $20,000 for neurosurgery research.