At the University of Michigan hospital, a ten-year-old me had her world turned upside down when I was diagnosed with scoliosis. I love baton twirling more than anything else. My afternoons were spent practicing in my backyard, imagining myself twirling in front of cheering fans at football games. But as my spine curved my dreams seemed to slip further away. My curvature eventually got to the point that I had to wear a back brace my whole 7th-grade year. After about a year of wearing my brace, I was crushed when the doctors confirmed the brace hadn’t worked as expected. My curve had worsened leaving surgery the only option to prevent further complications. Before my surgery, there were doubts if I would ever twirl again. Before I knew it, I had two metal rods and 17 screws going down my spine. After a successful surgery, I had a long road of recovery in front of me. Months passed with frustration and tears but with each small victory, I kept getting closer and closer to my end goal. At my three-month check, all my restrictions were lifted and I was able to twirl again. My journey with scoliosis taught me the power of perseverance and the importance of holding onto dreams no matter how challenging life has become.
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