A few days ago, I talked to a 16-year-old follower who told me her story about congenital scoliosis because she wants to help others going through what she's been through. Despite the ups and downs, she remains steadfast in her fight to treat the deformity, and she is yet another case of pure inspiration.
I'm sharing with you below the text that she sent to me:
"My name is Glória Cristina Schubert, I am 16 years old, and I'm from Joinville, Santa Catarina. My story with scoliosis goes back to my time in my mother's womb, marking congenital scoliosis, which was only discovered when I was 6 months old. Furthermore, a few days after my birth, I stopped breathing, couldn't gain weight, and couldn't breastfeed. When scoliosis was discovered, my parents sought medical help to understand what was happening, and the doctors told them that I should first go through my development before assessing the situation. Some time passed, and when I was 4 years old, I went to an orthopedist with a confirmed diagnosis of congenital scoliosis. At that moment, the doctor considered some factors, such as the risk of not growing any further if we had the surgery at that age and the potential loss of leg movement. Based on this information, my parents decided not to go through with scoliosis surgery out of fear that something bad might happen to me.
I grew up, and at the age of 6, I started school. On the first day of class, the teacher said, "Glória is just like any other child, she only has one issue that doesn't set her apart from all of you here." I confess I didn't understand. What was my problem? As a child, I had no idea that I had, and of course, still have scoliosis. In my visits to the doctor, I was just an observer because I didn't understand anything about it yet. When I was 10 years old, I started experiencing significant difficulties, such as bullying at school that I kept to myself, not telling my parents. I faced various insults, including one that still haunts me: being called a "tumor." Honestly, that triggered a lot of things for me, and by the age of 12, I was constantly lying in my room, crying with the following questions in my head: Why do I exist? Why did I go through all of this? Why can't I be normal? All of this not only brought me anxiety but also depression.
I confess I didn't tell my parents because they also didn't know how to handle everything. When my mother found out, she fell into depression, and during my last visit, I could sense the anguish in my father from a distance. It was the first time I saw a man cry in my life, so I always kept things to myself. Over time, things began to change. I'm not saying I accept the severity of the curvature, which is why I've been seeing an orthopedist, but I was embraced by some people, especially by God. I can say that religion, during my depression, was my way out. I found in Jesus the reasons to rise from where I was and fight. I'm still fighting to overcome, and I confess I'm happy with my progress. On September 28 of this year (2023), I gave a presentation along with my classmates from school, where I could share my entire life story, which brought me great peace of mind. Being able to express what we feel is truly liberating, and when I couldn't talk to anyone because of the shame I felt (I couldn't even mention the subject without bursting into tears), I wrote, pouring out all my emotions on paper, lightening my soul.
As I mentioned earlier, I'm still fighting to receive treatment for scoliosis. But my biggest dream is to help people who are going through the same issue as me and tell them "you are not alone" in this cause."
If you're going through this as well and want to talk to Glória, send me a direct message on Instagram. Share this story and be a support for those in need!!!
Do you want to discover more inspirational life stories? Check out all the testimonials we have published here on this blog.
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