The Untold Story of the Woman Who Invented the Original Version of the Popular Fidget Spinner

Video blogger and web producer Evan Puschak who is also known as the The Nerdwriter took a deep look at the incredibly popular trend of fidget spinners, the Fidget Cube and other similar toys. In doing so, Pushak also told the somber story of Catherine Hettinger, who, in the 1990s, was suffering from the autoimmune disease Myathenia Gravis. Because the disease affected her ability to move, she found that she needed to invent light toys for young daughter. This included the original version of the fidget spinner. Unfortunately, years later Hettinger had let the patent expire due to the cost of renewal and has not been able to reap in the wealth of the fidget craze. Currently, Hettinger is raising funds through Kickstarter in order to bring her original idea to life once again.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.