I have to say that if it weren’t for Heather Hyatt-Montoya I’m not sure where we would be today. My son was diagnosed with a 24degree curve at 1yr old that very quickly progressed. The first doctor we saw wanted to watch and wait (which is currently the norm). We were so lost and in the dark because the doctor didn’t really explain anything to us except that our son had scoliosis. When we asked about bracing, casting or even surgery she really couldn’t answer what the future would hold.
I found ISOP’s website and contacted Heather to find out more about the condition and what could be done. If it hadn’t been for her we would have sat and watch our son’s back get worse and would have ended up with surgery in the future. We went for a second opinion with a doctor that had been successful in early treatment for scoliosis using casting. Because we had talked to Heather and knew this doctor was trained and very good we did not hesitate. I am happy today to report that my son had a curve over 40 degrees when we started the early treatment process and after casting and bracing for 2yrs he is staight and doing well. We thank God every day for Heather and our little guys life being saved. I would love to see this happen so that many many more doctors can be trained and that we can continue to raise awareness for early detection of Infantile Scoliosis. Early detection and trained doctors are the key in saving these babies lives so they can live a normal life instead of one full of back surgeries every couple of months to lengthen growing rods.
Rochelle West
