Canada-Toronto

Hi everyone, my name is Maddie and I am 13 years old. I live in the Upper Beaches in Toronto Ontario and I will be starting Grade 8 in the fall. I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was 10 years old by my family doctor as she knew that I was at risk of scoliosis due to the genetic condition I was born with. As soon as my doctor noticed a slight curve, she referred me to SickKids to get fitted for a back brace. Getting a brace seemed really hard as I knew it would change a lot of things in my life like my clothes, how much food I could eat, and basic activities during the day. I told my mum about my worries or concerns but she sometimes didn’t know the answers or how to help me. That’s when Curvy Girls came into my life.

I joined Curvy Girls before I got my first brace which helped me so much. Between the time I was diagnosed and started wearing my brace, my curve progressed from 20 degrees to 27 degrees within a few months.  I started wearing my brace for 1 hour a day and progressed quickly up to the required 20-22 hours a day. Hard to believe but I am now already on my third brace and have learned so many great tips and tricks along the way! I am a very positive person and have had to overcome many challenges in my life outside of my scoliosis so I try to stay happy even during tough times. I enjoy school and hanging out with my friends but my two favourite things to do are baking and swimming. Swimming is something I really love to do and it keeps me active while helping with my scoliosis.

I want to be able to help other girls that are going through the same thing as me. I was very grateful to have found out about Curvy Girls when I was first diagnosed and feeling scared and alone. I want to support other girls with scoliosis to let them know it will be okay and not as bad as they may think. I have lots of knowledge to share that helped me in terms of clothing, exercise, staying cool in summer, and going to school and camp. I want to make the group fun for everyone and a place that they can talk about their feelings with people who understand. Looking forward to meeting all the Curvy Girls in Toronto.

Hi, my name is Holly and I’m 14 years old and I live in Toronto. I really enjoy baking, volleyball, downhill skiing, and summer camp. I live with my mom, dad, sister, dog, and hamster. I was diagnosed with scoliosis when I was 7 years old.  It was really hard and scary when I first found out. When I went to Sick Kids for the first time for a brace fitting, we were told about Curvy Girls. I went to a meeting before I got my first brace and it was really helpful to meet other girls who have the same thing I do. I am now on my fourth brace and soon to be fitted for my fifth. I wear my brace for 20 hours a day and my curves are holding steady.

I want to help other girls who are going through the same struggle to feel loved, confident, and beautiful. Along the way, I’ve learned different tricks to staying cool in the summer and found some good clothes that work well with my brace. I also just want to have fun and get to know lots of girls with scoliosis in Toronto.