Catherine Howell, senior account executive with Moxcar Marketing, recalls her locker room check in middle school for a strange sounding disease: scoliosis. Whereas she and most of her classmates are fortunate to not have thought much about that disease since, it was not the same outcome for two other teenagers today, Bristol and Jett.
June is scoliosis awareness month – dedicated to raising awareness about the spinal condition that causes an abnormal curvature of the spine- something Bristol and Jett know all too well.
The two East Tennessee teens have been friends since kindergarten, both undergoing successful spinal fusion surgeries due to scoliosis. Bristol had her surgery in April 2023, while Jett had his in October 2024. They attended prom together in 2023 and were both on the homecoming court in 2024.
Each of these surgeries require at least 2 of Knoxville Orthopaedic Clinic’s 3 pediatric orthopaedic surgeons to complete, which is unique in itself (they are also the only pediatric orthopaedic surgeons in the region). Dr. Jay Crawford treated both of them with the assistance of fellow pediatric specialists, Dr. Cameron Sears and Dr. Curtis Gaylord.
Bristol describes her life after the life changing surgery: “Walking out onto that field without pain was incredible, and I can now walk in heels like a champ. I also twirl baton and can perform tricks, spins, and illusions that used to be painful, and I can do all of that without worrying about my back. I love that I can live my life the way I want and can finally be a normal teenager. My dream is to be a majorette for the Pride of the Southland Band at the University of Tennessee. Go Vols!”- Bristol
Jett describes what the surgery means to him: “Before my spinal fusion, I woke up in pain and went to bed in pain. I was limited in what I could do because of the pain I was in. Now, I look forward to doing the things I love again, like playing basketball, kayaking, fishing, and spending time outdoors with my friends and family. Dr. Crawford was always honest and made sure I understood what the next steps in my journey would be.”- Jett
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