Louisiana

My name is Melayna. I am 16 years old and was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 5. From the age of 5-14, I wore a back brace. At 14, I started Schroth PT, scoliosis-specific exercises at Shriners but I ended up needing surgery. In June 2024, I had spinal fusion surgery with two titanium rods on my cervical and thoracic spine. Recovery was difficult but I persevered and now I am doing better than ever. I am flying on my high school cheer team. I am dancing and hanging out with friends pain free -- which used to never happen before my surgery. I am forever grateful I had the surgery because without it, I have no idea where I would have been today.

I want to be able to not only share my story but also let people know scoliosis is part of us and shouldn’t define us. I want young girls to know even though we have scoliosis that doesn’t mean it’s the end to things we enjoy in life. We can do everything we want in life, even with scoliosis, and it should never stop us from doing what we love. Being able to share similar experiences and ways of getting around things like pain is crucial to growing girls and women.