The Butterfly Project: Help Make Scoliosis Bear-able

Hello! My name is Laine Hess and I am 16 years old. As some may know, others not, I have scoliosis. Scoliosis is a condition where your spine is curved. I was first diagnosed in 2019 where I was then needed to go to Hershey Hospital to see a specialist. I was told I would need to wear a back brace to help my scoliosis from getting worse. My brace was purple with butterflies (hints the name of this fundraiser)! I was no only embarrassed but also confused about wearing my brace. I never knew how to explain it, and I did not want to wear it whatsoever. I did not do well in my brace, so I just continued to visit the doctor's for check ups.

In 2023 is when I first started to understand that at some point in my life I would need correction surgery. We finally worked out all of the logistics and in February of this year I got the surgery, and it was the best decision ever!

So your're now probably wondering what the Butterfly Project is, well it is a fundraiser to raise awareness for scoliosis. There is a company known as "Higgy Bears" that makes and sells bears that have scoliosis braces and surgery scars! Their moto is "Making scoliosis Bear-able." I know that if I would have gotten one of those bears at the beginning of my bracing journey I would have definitely felt so much better about wearing it, and maybe I wouldn't have gotten surgery.

All money raised in this fundraiser will got towards purchasing these bears and donating them to Penn State Health's Pediatric Bone and Joint Institution in Hershey, PA. Please help be apart of this cause and help make scoliosis Bear-able for everyone, every bit helps!

Thank you,

Laine Hess