Coping with scoliosis: the story behind “The Silver-Horned Girl”

This girl was me. No, I didn’t have a beeping silver horn growing out of my head, but I did have a silver metal back brace that I had to wear all through high school.

In 1978, when I was in the eighth grade, I injured my ribs in gym class. While examining my X-rays, a doctor discovered that I had an “S” curve in my spine. I was diagnosed with scoliosis. The term, not to mention the journey ahead, was new to my parents and me. I was referred to a scoliosis specialist in Rochester, NY to be fitted for a Milwaukee Brace. The brace had two steel pieces in the back, one in the front, and a hard, thick plastic shell around my hips. There was an extra metal piece on my right side, a chin rest and supports on the back of my neck.

Overnight, I went from a carefree kid to someone who couldn’t bend properly or fit into clothes without feeling like a robot. I constantly felt like I was choking and had sores all over my body. I had to wear the brace 23 hours a day for my entire four years of high school. Thankfully, we lived in Pennsylvania at the time because there were more cold days than warm and it was much easier to hide my brace with turtlenecks and long pants. I was grateful the brace was correcting my curvatures but I didn’t appreciate having to wear the brace to important functions or on the occasional date, and driving with it was hard because I had less mobility and reaction time. I was bullied by some of my classmates and struggled with anxiety and low self-esteem. It was very hard to feel normal.

Determined to find something to feel good about, I tried out for our school’s tennis team and made it! Originally, I tried to play tennis with my brace on, but it was nearly impossible. I convinced my parents that my hour out of the brace would be used for playing tennis. Of course, one hour often stretched into more, but it was the only time I could divert my attention to something else and feel like me again.

Having to wear a brace at such a formidable time in my life hurt my confidence, something I’ve struggled with ever since. But after years of therapy, meditation, and immersing myself in education, I decided I wanted to make a difference and help others. Three years ago, I decided to write “The Silver-Horned Girl” based on my experience with my back brace.

For me, the “silver horn” represents my brace but it also represents any type of challenges we experience: anxiety, depression, eating disorders, etc. In the story, the protagonist realizes she is much more than just the silver horn on her head. Designed as a conversation starter for facing anxiety, “The Silver-Horned Girl” demonstrates to children ages 8 and up how similarly insecurity affects everyone. Whether a child experiences a visible difference or one less obvious, no one should have to suffer in silence.

My hope is that through this story, along with its tools and resources, children, families and schools can create a safe space to have these conversations and set a better foundation for a student’s mental health. At the end of the book, I’ve included “Talking Points,” a “Mental Health Tool Kit” and other valuable resources for students, parents and teachers. I also included a special space to journal.

I am very proud and humbled by the outpouring of support for “The Silver-Horned Girl” since it’s release in September 2022. And, I’m very proud to team up with Spinal Technology, Higgy Bears, Scolios-US and others as a resource for Scoliosis Warriors!

Even though it’s written for ages 8 and up, I’ve had a number of families not only share the story with younger children but see themselves in the tale as well. My hope is to offer peace and a much needed message within the pages of “The Silver- Horned Girl” for a child in your life or for yourself. After raising two daughters, who are now 28 and 24 years old, I have realized we are never too old to embrace a children’s book. And, if the format seems a bit different, then that’s exactly the point of this story. We all have differences and that’s what makes us special!

“The Silver-Horned Girl” has been awarded the 2023 Golden Wizard Book Prize & the 2024 International Impact Book Awards in the Children’s Inspirational/Motivational category.

If you want to read more, the book can be found at:
Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com
Website: www.TheSilverHornedGirlBook.com

To follow Lisa on Instagram: @thesilverhornedgirl