Minnesota

Hello! My name is Brooke and I am 16 years old and live in Montana. I was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of five when I began to have back pain. When I was twelve years old, my doctor told me that my spinal curvature had increased greatly with a growth spurt and I needed to start wearing a Boston brace. I wore my scoliosis brace 18 hours per day for a total of 3.5 years (ages 12-15). I was able to stop wearing my brace when I reached my final growth height and my curvature had stopped worsening. My spine is currently curved at 35 degrees, but is stable. I still have to get scoliosis x-rays every six months to ensure my curve will not worsen now that I am not wearing my brace. I love to dance ballet and have been doing so  since the age of three! Ballet has been such a great way for me to keep my body moving and active. When I am not dancing, I enjoy hiking, camping, and paddle boarding in beautiful Montana!

Being a Curvy Girls leader is so important to me because I hope to be an advocate and mentor for girls navigating through their scoliosis journey. I have a great desire to provide support to girls with scoliosis in my rural state, as Montana is greatly lacking in support services. When I was diagnosed with scoliosis, I didn't have many peers that I could talk to for support or for answering my questions. I wish that I would have found Curvy Girls a lot sooner!