Washington

My name is Kimbre and I was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 7, and then I got my first boston brace at age 8. The doctors originally said I had a “S” curve of around 30 degrees, and wearing a brace helped me go down to about 25 degrees on both sides. Doctors told me I needed to wear it 20 hours a day, and I remembered feeling nervous about that. I wore a brace for 6 years, throughout half of elementary and middle school, and have just recently fully weaned off of it.

When I first got my brace, I felt scared and confused about it, but willing to wear it. It was hard for me at school because I felt different than the rest of my classmates, and like I had to hide it. My mom asked my doctor at the hospital if there were any support groups we could join, and they suggested Curvy Girls. We looked for a group to join, and it helped a lot. I also started Schroth exercises about a year ago, which has helped my back since. Since joining, I have felt way more confident in my ability to talk about and let others know about me and my scoliosis journey.

I do competitive gymnastics year round and play volleyball for school. When I have free time, I like to read, write, and hang out with my friends. I also enjoy taking my puppy on walks and watching TV with my family.

Being a Curvy Girls leader means supporting my community and the girls with scoliosis in it, as well as helping others. I am so grateful for the opportunities and help Curvy Girls has given me so far, and am excited to be able to pass that knowledge and help on to others like me!