To start off our Scoliosis Awareness Month Campaign, we will share the scoliosis story of TSAP's founder, Kimberly Ann Cunanan Garza.
Encountering challenges is not always favorable, but perseverance and faith allowed me to overcome my biggest challenge. At the age of eleven, I was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis. Hearing ‘scoliosis’ for the first time, I did not understand what this meant for my future. After seeing an x-ray of my spine; however, I quickly realized my spine needed to be straighter, rather than a backward ‘S’.
For six years, I wore a plastic back brace, completed physical therapy, and continuously performed back exercises to help straighten my spine. Although it is simple to describe my treatment, it was not easy to complete it. Entering middle school with a plastic object under my shirt, I felt embarrassed and afraid of being judged if my back brace was discovered. In addition, sitting in class was uncomfortable and it became difficult to focus on the lecture. The brace put pressure on my ribs and hips and over time, these sore spots became deep cuts in my skin.
Despite the physical and mental pain I experienced during my treatment for scoliosis, I knew I had to strengthen my body, mind, and spirit. I turned my attention to doing well in all my classes and continually expanding my knowledge through extracurricular activities. This effort proved to be fruitful throughout my treatment, and I have continued to work hard to this day.
I have now reached my dream of attending medical school, and giving back to the community is my mission. I started The Triumphs of Scoliosis Awareness Project to increase scoliosis awareness in our community, and to provide resources so people can teach others about scoliosis. It is important to know about scoliosis so it could be detected and treated early, and my hope is that TSAP can help make this positive impact on our world.
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