Title: June Is Scoliosis Awareness Month — Let’s Set the Curve Straight
Every June, we honor Scoliosis Awareness Month, a time to educate, uplift, and advocate for the millions of people around the world affected by scoliosis.
As an ambassador for Set Scoliosis Straight, I’ve seen firsthand the impact this condition can have—not just on posture or physical health, but on confidence, mental wellness, and everyday life.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that most often appears in adolescents. But it doesn’t stop there—adults live with it too, many without knowing they even have it. Some cases are mild, while others require bracing or surgery. The earlier scoliosis is detected, the better the chances of managing it effectively.
So why does awareness matter?
Because many cases go undiagnosed. Because young people struggling with body image and pain deserve understanding and support. Because visibility creates empathy—and empathy creates change.
This month, I invite you to:
Get informed – Learn the signs of scoliosis and how it’s diagnosed.
Speak up – If you or someone you know has scoliosis, share your experience.
Support the cause – Whether through donation, advocacy, or simply sharing a post, your voice matters.
Let’s straighten the curve in how we talk about scoliosis. Let’s support the incredible people living with it. Let’s keep pushing for more research, more compassion, and more awareness.
Together, we can Set Scoliosis Straight. 💚
#ScoliosisAwarenessMonth #SetScoliosisStraight #SupportTheCurve #JuneAwareness #SpinalHealth
🌿 Healing Looks Different for All of Us
By Diana Kayla Hochberg
Author of Connected: Finding My Truth
Living with severe scoliosis has shaped how I move through the world—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Healing, for me, doesn’t look like fast runs or rigorous routines. It looks like:
🪑 Chair yoga that honors the unique curve of my spine.
🏊♀️ Swimming laps 3–4 times a week, where I feel both light and free.
✍️ Writing, reflecting, and breathing through the truth of being sold through the black market—without consent, without paperwork, and without answers.
It took decades for me to uncover the real story of my life. In Connected: Finding My Truth, I share what happened when a single sentence shattered everything I believed about who I was—and how I fought to reclaim it all.
Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. And it doesn’t always look like transformation. Sometimes it looks like accepting the body you live in, finding new ways to move, and reconnecting with a truth that was stolen.
✨ Free Reflection Download: Inhale. Exhale. Begin Again.
If you're on your own healing path—whether recovering from trauma, rediscovering your identity, or simply trying to breathe again—this free, gentle reflection is for you.
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My Journey: Strength, Scoliosis, and the Power of Perseverance
As an Ambassador for Setting Scoliosis Straight, I recently had a profound realization—one I had never fully acknowledged before. My book, Connected: Finding My Truth, is more than a memoir. It’s a testament to resilience, a deep dive into my hidden family history, and an exploration of the truths that shape us.
My story began long before I even knew I had one to tell.
In 1965, during a back-to-school shopping trip, my father noticed something concerning—I wasn’t standing straight. That simple observation led us to a pediatrician, then to a specialist in New York City. After extensive tests at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, I was diagnosed with Levoconvex Scoliosis. I was too young to grasp what it meant, but I could see the fear in my parents’ eyes.
Dr. Jacob Graham, an orthopedic specialist, recommended a Milwaukee back brace to slow the progression of my condition. At the same time, my mother was battling cancer, leaving my father as my only caregiver. It was a difficult and uncertain time. Then, I overheard something that would change my life forever.
Dr. Graham, speaking privately to my father, unknowingly shattered my spirit when he said:
👉 “She probably won’t be able to have children and might be in a wheelchair by the time she’s forty.”
That moment could have broken me. Instead, it lit a fire inside me. I refused to let my condition—or anyone’s predictions—define my future.
For three and a half years, I endured the physical and emotional burden of the Milwaukee brace. I watched my peers live their teenage years while I felt trapped—both physically in the brace and emotionally by the limitations others placed on me. But I never gave up.
Today, I stand tall—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. I am a proud mother, a stepmother, and in 2024, I became a grandmother—the future I was told I wouldn’t have has become my greatest blessing.
Over the years, as my scoliosis worsened, I sought new ways to manage my pain. I found Dr. Jason C. Rosenberg, M.D., a compassionate specialist in Neurology and Pain Medicine, who is exploring non-opioid treatment options to help me live with less suffering and more strength. I live with daily pain, but I won’t let it slow me down.
But scoliosis is just one part of my story.
In writing Connected: Finding My Truth, I uncovered more than my own resilience—I uncovered secrets buried in my family’s past. My journey of perseverance mirrors the journey I took to piece together long-lost truths. The same determination that pushed me to defy medical odds also drove me to uncover the mysteries that shaped my identity.
If you’d like to understand more about my journey—both personal and investigative—check out my book and its reviews here:
Never let someone else’s prediction dictate your future. Keep fighting. Keep believing. And above all—never give up.
