patient stories

I developed scoliosis in childhood, but I wasn’t formally diagnosed until my teenage years. Like many kids, I was prescribed a brace and told to wear it for long hours each day. I hated it....

It was the summer going into 8th grade. My mom was driving my brother and I to the doctor’s office for our yearly checkup. Obviously, I hate visiting the doctor’s office, but I did like being reassured that I was healthy....

It was the year of 2020 when I was 12 years old that I was diagnosed with scoliosis. I remember looking in the mirror and seeing how my waist, hips and shoulders were uneven, and I had a rib hump. 12-year-old me did not even know what scoliosis was and…...

Hello, I am Simrena Atwal, and I underwent Vertebral Body Tethering (VBT) surgery at the age of 11. My journey through scoliosis felt like a rollercoaster ride I never wanted to be on. The pain hurt so much that I thought I couldn't handle it at times. I was terrified…...

Throughout my childhood, I maintained my fighter spirit in overcoming my condition. I started to love playing soccer, and despite my condition, I continued to play the sport I love whilst being cautious of my condition. In light of all this, I received much reassurance from my friend's sister who…...

Hi, my name is Sophia. I’m 14 years old from Hong Kong, and I was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis at age 12. I was prescribed a full-time WCR brace and physical therapy. I had heard from the doctors that scoliosis was something that couldn’t be cured, and the best…...

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…...

Diagnosed at age 11, I was just finishing up my sixth grade year. Middle school is probably one of the toughest times in anybody’s life, so adding in doctor’s appointments and a spinal fusion only made it much more so....

At just 12 years old, I discovered that I had idiopathic scoliosis. Quickly being reassured by my pediatrician, I left the children’s hospital not worrying about this. Apparently, a lot of people had scoliosis and are completely fine, so nothing was going to happen to me, right?...

When I was 10, I went for what I thought would be a regular checkup at my doctor’s office. Everything seemed routine—until my primary care provider asked me to bend over so she could check my back. What happened next was different: she paused, stepped out, and returned with a…...