Massachusetts

Hi! My name is Lila and I live in the Greater Boston Area. My favorite sport is volleyball, which I play at school in the fall and on a club team year-round, and I am on a sail racing team in the spring. I am very invested in schoolwork and science is my favorite subject. In my free time, I like to spend time with friends, shop, and babysit-- I love kids. I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was 12, though I had lived symptom-free with a small curve since I was 9. I went into one of my routine “watching the curve” visits with my doctor and he informed me I had a 25-degree curve. I wore a brace 22 hours a day for the following 2.5 years, then slowly tapered to just wearing my brace at night. I am now done growing and I have avoided surgery.

When I got diagnosed with scoliosis, I was scared. My family and I didn’t know anything about scoliosis, so we did a lot of research. We found Curvy Girls and I attended a meeting. My mom and I learned a lot about other people’s scoliosis experiences, which reassured us that we could get through the diagnosis. It was good to know other people who were going through the same challenges as I was and I always got good advice from girls at the meetings. Curvy Girls supported me and I want to pay it back. I am so excited to be a Leader, so I can be there for girls with scoliosis and help them through their scoliosis journey!

My name is Sonya and I come from a large family with three older brothers. In my free time I enjoy various physical activities like running, gymnastics, dancing, volleyball, and swimming. One of my favorite things to do is shop with my friends, and I love fashion. I also enjoy writing and I collect CDs and listen to many genres of music.

As for my scoliosis journey, I was first diagnosed when I was 13 years old, at my annual doctor’s appointment. I was then referred to an orthopedic surgeon where a brace was recommended and I was told that I had two severe curves. Then, I wore a Boston brace for 20 hours a day, for 5-6 months. This was very difficult to manage with all of my sports, and wearing it for 20 hours a day always proved to be a struggle. In addition to wearing the brace, I also participated in physical therapy at home and at a gym. After wearing a brace for a couple of months, my mother heard about the tethering scoliosis surgery. I then saw a different orthopedic surgeon who performed the tether, and I had this surgery a few months ago on October 1st, 2024. My scoliosis journey has been packed with a ton of emotions, and has definitely been a darker time in my life. But I can say that through this journey I have grown tremendously as a person, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally.

My first Curvy Girls’ meeting was a pivotal moment in my scoliosis journey. When I heard other girls talking about all of the struggles about wearing a brace that I was also facing, I felt so heard and seen. I had never spoken to someone who really understood what it was like to be in a brace, and understood all of the other struggles that come along with scoliosis. After I began attending these meetings I began to feel a lot less alone, and since then it has felt so supportive to know that there are so many girls out there facing the same scoliosis related issues that I am.

As the opportunity for me to be a Leader has come up, I have felt that I really want to help other girls with scoliosis. I want other young girls that I will be leading to feel how I felt at my first Curvy Girls’ meetings. I would really like for all of the girls to feel seen, heard, supported, and above all, I want them to know that they are not alone in their struggles. I strive to be a leader who helps young ladies with scoliosis to see that there are other people dealing with the same issue that they are. Lastly, I want to mention that scoliosis has been a dark time in my life. Curvy Girls brought some light to my dark journey, and I really h