Support Maggie's Spinal Recovery

*Para español, haz clic aquí.*

Hello friends,

I’m Maggie— a Juilliard-trained artist, acting coach, and wellness practitioner, with a life rooted in creativity, advocacy, and a deep commitment to helping others come home to themselves. I’m facing a major turning point in my long journey with scoliosis. After years of mounting pain, misdiagnoses, and mysteriously escalating dysfunction, I’ve finally uncovered the full scope of what’s been happening in my body.

I'm asking for your support to access the comprehensive, long-overdue care that could change the course of my health—and my future. (more details below)

THE BEFORE

In my early teens, I was diagnosed with “slight” scoliosis. I was braced and given PT, but as I grew, we believed the curve had settled around a mild 25-degree bend with a slight twist. What we didn’t realize was that the actual curve was far more severe—hidden beneath layers of muscular compensation. As my spinal curve worsened, my body had unconsciously compensated—gripping, bracing, and performing straightness. For over 20 years, that chronic holding quietly unraveled my health, triggering a chain reaction that disrupted my muscles, nerves, breath, sleep, focus, and overall quality of life.

On the outside, I looked strong and capable—dancing with abandon, hiking up mountains with heavy equipment, wading through rushing rivers, performing dynamic stage combat, transforming into vivid characters, viscerally leading rehearsal rooms, squatting beside cameras, facilitating complex conversations for social change, and carrying the weight of grief and trauma alongside loved ones.

But behind the scenes, I moved through each moment with mounting dysfunctions, shallow breath, mysterious seizing, painful tension, and an unshakable sense that something was off. My nervous system was locked in overdrive, and I didn’t know how to stop powering through.

THE TURNING POINT

Years of misdiagnoses and worsening symptoms sent me searching for deeper answers. With persistence and holistic investigation, my body has finally begun to release—making space for the truth to surface.

Recent imaging (as seen above) from Och Spine in Hudson Yards revealed that what we thought was a mild curve is actually a far more severe 47-degree curve, hidden for years beneath layers of compensatory bracing.

The adjustment period was intense—a full-body reckoning. An overwhelming release and glimpse at freedom that came with disorientation, deep fatigue, and a total reorientation of how I move and exist in my body. I used a cane as my brain struggled to adapt to the true shape of my spine without tension, re-mapping my body’s location in space, and recalibrating weight distribution. My nervous system encountered real release for the first time, and the experience was both liberating and destabilizing. I knew it was one of those worse-before-better moments, but the physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion was profound. With the support of skilled practitioners, my body schema has begun to recalibrate, and I’ve regained mobility—though new pain and discomforts have arisen.

Still, I’m far from the active, playful version of myself I once knew. Most days, I rely on old patterns of gripping and bracing just to function—and I can feel how they’re holding me back from real healing. And yet, I’m deeply grateful for this radical release—for the chance to discover my life with a new kind of freedom I never thought possible. Now, I just need the expertise and guidance to help me get there.

THE TREATMENT

With the guidance of expert practitioners, I’ve mapped out a six-month intensive care plan to address the system-wide dysfunction that arises when a spinal abnormality is left untreated. My plan includes:

Schroth Method physical therapy (the gold-standard scoliosis treatment)

Alexander Technique

Scoliosis-informed strength training

Somatic movement and breathwork

Functional medicine diagnostics and treatment

Trauma-informed bodywork and therapy

These treatments aren't covered by my limited insurance. Sessions range from $150–$500, and true healing requires consistency—not one-off visits.

I need to retrain my body’s relationship to my spine—unwinding decades of dysfunction to relieve chronic strain, move with less pain, breathe with more ease, and build real, lasting stability in a body that feels like home. This will take time, precision, and expert care amounting to over $30,000. The full scope is far beyond what I can manage alone.

THE ASK

Writing and sharing this feels wildly vulnerable. But my life as a creative and advocate has taught me to dream as big as the problem, so I’m imagining care and healing far beyond anything I’ve ever been able to afford or sustain.

All my life, I’ve either accepted scarcity or hustled to outwit it—stretching every resource, chasing every grant, and showing up against the odds, through every odd job, caregiving crisis, global outcry, industry instability, creative pursuit, and system stacked against sustainability. But grit alone won’t get me through this. With your support, I can step out of survival mode, invest in comprehensive care, and move into the next chapter more aligned and expansive.

If you’re able to contribute financially (even a “small” amount): thank you, thank you, thank you. If donating isn’t possible, sharing this with your network can make a world of difference.

I am so grateful to you for reading, sharing, and dreaming with me.

With big love and fierce hope,

Maggie

*in collaboration with Katie and Gamble—the sibling dream team*

For more on me and my work: maggiescrantom.com

To connect with me: @magnoliagram