Connecticut

Hi! My name is Lily and I am from Southeastern Connecticut and am entering my sophomore year of high school. I enjoy playing basketball and I am an avid reader. I also have many musical interests, as I play French horn in my school's band program and have played piano for the past ten years. I enjoy meeting new people with a variety of interests and backgrounds. My scoliosis journey started when I was five years old and had just entered kindergarten. My curve was diagnosed at about 40 degrees and I started bracing 20 hours a day in a Boston brace. A year later my curve wasn't improving, so I started wearing a Providence brace at night and still wore the Boston during the day. As I got older I have been able to transition out of wearing the Boston brace during the day, only bracing in the Providence at night. Presently, my curve is more stable and I will continue to brace at night until I stop growing.

To me, being a Curvy Girls Leader means creating a welcoming and supportive space for girls of any age that have scoliosis. Creating an environment where we can share our scoliosis stories, talk about its challenges, as well create a network of young women who can empathize and support one another. While I try to look at the positive sides of my scoliosis journey, living with the diagnosis can be isolating and emotionally challenging at times. While family and friends around you can offer support, there can be instances where it seems unfair. Or, it can be hard to fit in with friends if they don't fully comprehend the condition and what its implications are for you as a patient. Becoming a Curvy Girls Leader will allow me to help create a space for girls to talk about the struggles that come with being a scoliosis patient that aren't always seen to those around us and fostering connections within the group through the condition we all share.