Meet Brianna Taveras, age 12, my fearless niece and youngest of 3 siblings. Brianna is a smart and energetic kid who enjoys playing sports, listening to music and spending time with family and friends. For most, Bri has been your typical kind, energetic and outspoken kid. What most don’t know is that Brianna was diagnosed with moderate juvenile scoliosis at the age of 5. From ages 5-10, she wore a Boston brace for approximately 23 hours a day with short breaks for sports and showering. In recent years she transitioned to evening bracing which finally allowed her to attend school brace free and sit comfortably in a chair. Something we have all taken for granted! During this time, Brianna was compliant; rarely complaining about her brace or the discomfort she’d learned to live with. My niece is admirably resilient and positive. She pushes through limitless boundaries to share her love of playing sports, never defeated by her condition.

For those of you that know my sister, Karina, you know that her most important job has always been to be the best mother to all three of her kids: Brandon, Bryan and Brianna. When my sister first learned of Bri’s condition, like any other parent, she was overwhelmed with emotions. The questions of what, why, and how also led her to weeks of round the clock research. Her biggest concern being that traditional surgery meant metal rods and/or fusion. A posterior fusion for Bri would extend from T4-L3 and virtually include her entire spine. A surgery that would become “debilitating for an active young basketball player, as the muscles do not fully recover and often become non-functional”. “A life changing high price.” My sister’s desire to find an alternative option that would still allow Bri to follow her passion for sports led her to an alternative surgical option known as Anterior Scoliosis Correction (ASC). ASC has many advantages of most importance, it allows for fusionless surgical correction without the dissection of the muscles surrounding her spine which would preserve her flexibility and allow her to continue growth. It works as an internal brace, where screws are inserted between each vertebrae and attached with bands. It allows for a quicker recovery and decreases the possibility of needing multiple distinct surgeries down the road.

Since ASC is still not the preferred approach, it is very difficult to find qualified providers. Brianna has been fortunate enough to have received her care over the years with a group of out of network providers who have perfected the approach. Her team of medical professionals have been informative, kind, patient, loving and supportive. Unfortunately this newer treatment option with her group of physicians is not covered by traditional insurance (a detailed appeal was filed and denied) and could cost her family roughly $90k out of pocket.  With the guidance of her medical team they have been able to find an alternative in-state provider who is in network and will alleviate a bulk of the costs as hospital stay, anesthesia, etc will in fact be covered.

I have created this GoFund me page in hopes of helping raise money to pay for the out-of-pocket costs. There is, of course, no obligation and there is no donation that is too small. We want to sincerely thank you in advance for your consideration in donating.  If you choose to donate, we will be eternally grateful for helping us out and being a part of Brianna realizing her dreams. Brianna has found a love in basketball and has made a family of friends, coaches and supporters alike. She is currently a Combo Guard for Castle Athletics based out of NYC. She enjoys basketball training with her GymRatz family in Orange County, NY and most recently began playing flag football with Old Skewl based out of

Middletown, NY. We are looking forward to her full return this summer/fall and appreciate all of the support our wonderful community has already offered.