By Samantha Sewick
Staff Writer
Most people underestimate the importance of one’s spine. Without it, people wouldn’t be able to walk, run, or do everyday things that many take for granted.
For students like senior Zoe Kelley, things can be more complicated.
Simple tasks like walking to her next class can be a challenge for Kelley, who was diagnosed with scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine either side-to-side or forward-to-back, creating almost an “S” shape instead of a straight line, at age 11.
“It’s definitely had an effect on my attendance,” said Kelley, who has lumbar scoliosis, which means her spine curves in the lower-middle part of her back. “I tend to be tardy because when I’m walking from across the school, it causes pain, and I have to stop or slow down because it hurts so bad. With lumbar scoliosis, it makes it harder to walk long distances without my back being in extreme pain.”
Kelley’s spine curvature has thrown her a curve-ball forcing her to re-learn what she already knew. The way Kelley walks has changed over time, and now, she walks with a slight forward lean.
Kelley said this is because “(Scoliosis) causes my lower back to be weaker and can’t support me for very long. It also causes my lower back to be numb if I’m standing or walking for too long.”
When Kelley was diagnosed, it wasn’t a shock to her or her family members because scoliosis runs in her family on both sides.
Still, Kelley perseveres through all of the difficulties that come with her diagnosis.
“It was a struggle when, every time I walked, there was a lot of pain,” she said. “I didn’t want to let the pain set me back.”
Kelley has held to that and continued to not allow anything to set her back or knock her down, and she does it all with a warm smile and a positive attitude.