Spine Program Patient Stories

A lifesaving treatment at CHOP gave Grace a chance at life, and her family hope for a future with their daughter.

Born with no hope for survival, a specialized team at CHOP helped Madden survive and thrive longer than anyone thought possible.

After being told their daughter might not live past age 3, Isla’s parents were determined to look for a glimmer of hope, and they found it at CHOP.

An innovative device, developed by one of CHOP’s world-renowned surgeons, gave Jonathen’s family hope for a better future.

Landon's life has been transformed after his VEPTR surgery. His lung function has improved; he has enough energy to explore his surroundings,

Bracing has helped decrease the curvature in Annie's spine from scoliosis and delay surgical intervention.

Six years after being confined to a back brace to treat extreme scoliosis, Lindsay is now a sophomore with a successful clothing line that has generated thousands of dollars in support of scoliosis research.

Diagnosed with early-onset scoliosis at 5 months old, Tristan was treated with serial body casting, an innovative therapy that gradually straightens spinal curves.

Tori's parents feared that surgery for Tori's worsening scoliosis would end her beloved gymnastics cheerleading career but the CHOP Orthopaedics team got her back into award-winning form.

At the age of 12, Courtney was diagnosed with scoliosis. By the time she turned 17, she needed surgery. Dr. Sankar performed a posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation that allowed Courtney to get back to dancing and compete nationally eight months after surgery.