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Student perseveres despite physical hindrance, brace
Photo Credit: Amy Mehok
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December 20, 2011
Krista James, Layout Editor
It is tight. At times it feels like the next breath may be a struggle, but freshman Hayley Fox must endure the metal brace. It is just a way of life for those suffering from idiopathic scoliosis.
Fox was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis during a routine check conducted at the middle school. She has been sentenced to the brace since.
“Scoliosis is when your back is curved, and they told me that my back is curved to the left,” Fox said.
Fox must wear the uncomfortable brace 24 hours a day to help correct the curvature of her spine. The brace comes with a chin rest to try to make it more comfortable to wear, however, special education teacher Amy Alsup supplies Fox with a padded chair as well to enhance her comfort level.
“Hayley is one of my highest achieving students, and she is always a nice, sociable person whether she is in pain or not. She’s always involved in class, and she doesn’t let her brace ruin her time in here,” Alsup said.
The middle school diagnosis did not stop Fox. When she was diagnosed with scoliosis in sixth grade, Fox decided to start participating in Special Olympics. While she has been involved in it for four years, Fox participated in the one-mile run and the softball-throw for the first time this year. Winning first place in both events made her love for competing grow, and after talking it over with her mother, she joined the cross-country team.
“I’ve always enjoyed Special Olympics because I got to compete with my friends. I wanted to try something new, and my teammates accepted me and kept me going when I wanted to stop,” Fox said.
Although Fox never won a race that she competed in, she set goals for herself that she accomplished at practice and at competition. Though she never received awards for these accomplishments, Fox said a pat on the back or a word of encouragement from a teammate made her strive to overcome scoliosis all worthwhile.
“She is a sweet girl, and you would never know she was any different from anyone at practice. There are times when we all want to give up, but we’re all there for each other and to let each other know that giving up won’t help us grow as people,” fellow cross-country teammate junior Bailey Mehok said.
Being active in the classroom has not only improved Fox academically, but also in the aspect of having more motivation in the eyes of Alsup. Fox being in pain is something their whole class is aware of, and they try to relieve as much of her pain and stress as possible.
“We do things in class to kind of lighten the mood in a sense. We all can tell when Hayley is having a harder day, and we all let her know it’ll be okay and that she shouldn’t give up in anything she wants to accomplish for herself,” Alsup said.
Fox will get relief soon in the form of a new brace. The current brace she owns has improved her back from a 35 percent curve to a 25 percent curve. The metal contraption will be built to conform to her body with metal bars and little padding. To make it more attractive in appearance, Fox was able to choose a design to have placed on her brace.
“The brace she has now has an airbrush design on it. I don’t think she can contain her excitement for much longer,” special education aide Susan Dana said.
