Patient Stories

Hello! My name is Bindi Weiland and I am 16 years old. I have been dancing for 13 years and dance has always been a big part of who I am, but my journey hasn’t always been easy.
When I was five I was transported by life flight to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh due to difficulty breathing. I was treated for pneumonia, diagnosed with asthma, and spent five days in the hospital. It was at this time when the doctors noticed that I had a chest wall deformity called Pectus Excavatum.

When I was 12 one of my specialists recommended that I be seen by a thoracic surgeon and cardiologist due to the severity of my condition. They found that my heart was being compressed, and it was affecting my breathing. Finding out that the Nuss procedure is known as one of the most painful childhood surgeries during the recovery period, we were hesitant to go through with it. After much prayer God led us to find a leading doctor at Cleveland Clinic who specialized in the Nuss procedure. We decided to go through with the surgery in August 2021.

The Nuss procedure took about 4 hours and involved placing two 12-inch titanium bars across my chest to correct my sternum. After the surgery I was not allowed to dance at all for four months. I still attended every one of my classes and watched from the side. It was at that time that I realized how important dance was to me and that I was determined to work hard and be the best dancer I could be. After that I slowly began to regain my strength and flexibility. My recovery went extremely well and within six months I was back to dancing 100%.

Going into the Nuss procedure I was told that there would have to be a follow up surgery three years following the first. This surgery would involve removing the bars and stabilizers that were placed during the first operation. This past summer marked the three year anniversary of my first surgery so it was time for the follow up procedure. This surgery was much easier than the first and I was back to dancing full out when classes started up at the beginning of this dance season just 3 weeks later.

Facing those surgeries I knew that I would be able to feel like myself again and maybe even better afterwards. Three years ago I had no idea that there would be something even more life changing coming. I’ve known that I also had scoliosis from age 10 but it was mild and did not require a brace. After my Nuss procedure my x-rays began to show that the curves of my spine were rapidly increasing. The last thing I wanted to hear was that I needed another major surgery. After seeing three doctors it was clear that my only option was to have spinal fusion. I waited a year, but the curvature had reached 60 degrees, which is 20 more than the recommended surgical range. In July of 2023 I had the six-hour surgery, where they permanently placed 20 screws and 2 rods in my spine.

My spinal fusion was extremely traumatic physically, mentally, and emotionally. At that point I realized that I was facing something that I was unsure if I could handle. Every day of the six months I was unable to dance my determination grew more and more. However, that determination was short-lived. When my restrictions were lifted and I started back to dance I realized I could no longer do many of the things I could do before. I began to lose hope and started to think that I’d never dance the same again. Ever since I was very young I wanted to pursue a career in dance. I began to doubt if that would even be a possibility. I realized how much I truly needed the encouragement of my friends, family, and teachers. It took a while to accept that it was going to take time and diligence to live up to my own expectations.

I am so grateful that my dance teachers nominated me for the Ohio Dance Masters Charity Outreach program. Being the Representative for 2025 has given me the opportunity to choose Setting Scoliosis Straight as this year’s charity. It has been such a great experience, speaking and performing at the ODM events. I am honored that I get to share my story, bring awareness to scoliosis, and help others going through similar challenges.

Overcoming scoliosis was the toughest challenge I have ever faced. Throughout the course of my recovery I’ve learned so much about myself and most importantly that even when you don’t feel seen by others, you have to remember why you are a dancer. I really wish that I would have had more options while deciding the best way to treat my condition. My hope is that in the future there are more alternatives to surgery for children facing severe scoliosis.

I am planning to continue dancing into my future, and to follow my dream of dancing professionally that I have had since I was very young. So, if you end up getting anything from my story, I hope it is that life’s challenges shape us into who we are and no matter how hard it gets, never give up.