My name is Sofia Musicco, I am a 16 year old from Toronto, Canada, and I have had scoliosis my entire life- despite only being diagnosed within the past two years. The symmetrical double-curvature of my spine leaves me in a challenging position for treatment; there is no imbalance to brace and no extreme urgency to correct with surgery. As a result, my scoliosis is left to be monitored and self-treated, despite the frequent and prevalent impacts of my curvature.

While coping with scoliosis has become more difficult as the pandemic has continued, I know I am only one of many youths dealing with the impacts of this idiopathic condition. Because of this reality, I was inspired to start an initiative to benefit the lives of those affected. My initiative- called Idiopathic- has raised almost $1000 for Setting Scoliosis Straight this quarter.

Idiopathic collects donations in a few ways, the two most notable being the 33km annual walk and the non-profit line of clothing I designed. This year on March 20th, some close supporters and I embarked on the long 33km walk, putting the ‘path’ in Idiopathic. The significance of 33km comes from my curvatures, as each one of my curves is skewed 33˚ in opposite directions. While this distance seems intimidating, the support of my seven closest friends exemplified the type of support I aim to give to everyone who benefits from Idiopathic’s efforts. However, the copious amounts of support didn’t stop at just the 33km path- the impacts of my initiative can be seen on sweaters worn by people across Toronto, New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and more. Through collecting donations in a way that my peers would find engaging and fun, I have raised almost $1000 from members of my community buying sweaters with my x-ray on the back.

With all the donations raised, I am incredibly grateful to support the Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation. The SSSF works with the Harms Study Group to support discoveries and advance techniques in treating spinal deformities in youth; this cause perfectly embodies the work I aim to support through my efforts. Inspired by my struggles with scoliosis, my goal to benefit patient support and technological advances in the field of scoliosis is achieved through supporting Setting Scoliosis Straight.