108 HAWAII PARENT May/June 2024 become a high school freshman this Fall, Mariana feels so blessed to be able to do normal activities again. Remarkably, only a month after surgery, she returned to volunteering in her church, and within 2 months, she was back in school full swing. And because she grew two inches as a result of her spine fusion surgery, she takes pride in being almost as tall as her parents and jokes that she “looks up” to her older brother, both literally and figuratively. “I never thought that scoliosis would help bring me a new plan and a new purpose for my life!” she said. “This past summer, I was able to attend my church’s Youth Leadership camp and became a junior leader. And I got to represent Hawaii as Standard Bearer for the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas!” “Mahalo Shriners Children’s Hawaii for inspiring me to love and care for others!” ming. “I remember after my 13th birthday dinner, my back was in so much pain that I had a hard time walking from the restaurant back to the car,” she said. At that point, her care team at Shriners Childrenʻs Hawaii, including her doctor and physical therapist, recommended surgery. “Unlike my parents, the idea of spinal fusion surgery didn’t scare me. I just wanted relief from the constant pain and the chance to have a normal body. When it was time for the surgery, I closed my eyes, said a prayer and trusted that God would be with me. When I opened my eyes again, more than 6 hours had passed. The doctors and nurses were amazed that I had absolutely no complications. A week later, I met all of my goals to go home, but was sad to leave because I was going to miss everyone that took such good care of me.” Now in 8th grade and preparing to “Mariana feels so blessed to be able to do normal activities again.” X-rays help to accurately measure and monitor the curve of the spine over time.
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