Carolina Impact | mign
Being diagnosed with scoliosis led one NYC student to help others
Check out the mign segment on PBS Charotte’s Carolina Impact . This compelling story highlights the collaboration between our team and her physician to create a tailored treatment plan, ensuring her personal design provides the support and functionality needed for her recovery, so she can get back to doing what she loves.
Livi’s Story: Being diagnosed with scoliosis led one NYC student to help others
Being diagnosed with scoliosis led one NYC student to help others
Livi Lasner was at her doctor’s office when she noticed a younger girl who was also wearing a brace. Remembering how uncertain she had been when she was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, Livi started talking with the girl and her mother. The girl said she was nervous, so Livi shared her experiences, which helped put the girl at ease.
Later, Livi told her doctors she would like to serve as a resource for others with scoliosis who had questions or simply wanted to relate to someone who understands what they are dealing with.Shortly after, two people reached out and Livi connected with them on FaceTime.
“It would have helped had I had someone like this to talk to in the beginning,” said Livi, an 8th grader living in Manhattan who enjoys swimming and yoga. “I’ve realized going through this makes me stronger, and I have a good experience worth telling.”
Livi was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) at age 10 during a routine physical.
At first, Livi was frustrated and confused. She didn’t know of anyone else with scoliosis. An active student who enjoys softball and other sports, Livi wondered, “Why me?” AIS affects between 1% and 4% of otherwise healthy adolescents. Currently, there is no known cause.
After being monitored for a while, her doctor diagnosed a 34-degree thoracic scoliosis and recommended a mign medical wearable. “She had lots of growth remaining, so we recommended a scoliosis brace,” says Dr. Baron Lonner, Chief of Minimally Invasive Scoliosis Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine. “The mign brace is unique because the 3D printing process and the digital scanning of the patient allows for the orthotist to customize the fit to the patient precisely and results in the best possible corrections of the curve.”
When medical services turned virtual because of COVID-19, however, Livi wasn’t able to visit her orthotist to have her brace adjusted. She grew a few inches during that time. As her brace no longer fit comfortably, Livi wore it less often.
The consequences became clear: Livi’s spine curvature worsened to where surgery might be needed. The curvature of her thoracic spine increased to 44 degrees, and there was a secondary curve in her lumbar spine of 41 degrees.
Adamant against surgery, Livi was fitted for a new mign medical wearable, which she committed herself to wearing at least 16 to 18 hours daily, including to school and summer camp. Livi appreciated the mign wearable’s lightweight and breathable construction and open-weave design during the hotter months.
“I became dedicated to wearing the brace because I wanted to heal myself,” says Livi. “When my doctor said I might have to go to surgery, I was dedicated to proving that statement wrong. I felt I was very capable of healing my body.”
During this time, Livi also became inspired to help others who have scoliosis. In addition to offering herself as a resource, Livi is creating a non-profit foundation to help people pay for medical wearables and treatment.
“I’ve come to the realization that there are a lot of people who might have a bad case of scoliosis and not have the money to afford getting a brace,” she says. “I thought that I should give back because I've been so fortunate to have amazing family and friends and good doctors to help me through this. I felt it was very important to give others the opportunity as well.”
Livi is creating the nonprofit and building the website with help and support from her mother, Jennifer Altman, and her dad, Jonathan Lasner.
“We are very proud of her,” says Jennifer. “It is inspiring to see her taking an active role in health equity.”
X-rays of Livi’s back taken a month after she received her new device show inspiring results.
Since wearing her new mign medical wearable, Livi’s thoracic spine curve improved from 44 degrees to 24 degrees, and her lumbar spine curve corrected from 41 degrees to 20 degrees.
“She’s been a great patient,” says Dr. Lonner. “From having a poor result at the beginning to now being a patient who doubled down and really wore her brace diligently, it looks like she will avoid surgery.”
Livi’s also proud of what she has accomplished.
“I feel like it’s going well,” she says. “ I’ve come to the realization that it’s only temporary, and I understand that it’s only here to help me.”
Saadia’s story: Undeterred by her diagnosis, a young athlete embraces her new journey
“I was afraid at first because I didn’t know how things would turn out, but once I started getting into the process, especially since I met the people who work at mign, who were patient with me and guided me through the whole process, I got over my fear. I was excited to see them make it.”
Saadia was a 10-year-old competitive gymnast when a routine x-ray at a local chiropractor showed potential curvature in her spine.
Saadia was referred to a specialist, Dr. Todd M. Chapman, Jr. an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoCarolina. Dr. Chapman diagnosed her with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) with a 45 degree curve in her thoracic spine and a 33 degree curve in the lumbar spine. AIS is the most common type of scoliosis and usually diagnosed during puberty.
Uncertainty filled the family’s thoughts. Would the always-energetic Saadia need to stop being physically active? Jerrilyn wondered whether her daughter would be confined to the large, rigid, and cumbersome braces she read about online.
Saadia’s treatment choices were observation, bracing or surgery. The family opted for bracing, and Dr. Chapman referred them to mign, a Charlotte-based company where 3D designers create customized medical wearables tailored precisely to patients’ bodies.
“With all bracing, compliance is the key factor. If we recommend braces to patients and they are not going to wear them, they are not beneficial,” Dr. Chapman says. “That’s where mign fits in. By being customizable and patient-specific, with the breathability and ability to formulate the wearable for each patient based on 3D scans, it can greatly increase the likelihood the patient will wear a brace.”
At first nervous about the process, Saadia soon found herself having fun as her wearable was being created. “They had a camera that scanned my whole body,” says Saadia, a middle schooler with an infectious smile. “I was afraid at first because I didn’t know how things would turn out, but once I started getting into the process, especially since I met the people who work at mign, who were patient with me and guided me through the whole process, I got over my fear. I was excited to see them make it.”
Saadia started wearing her mign wearable two hours daily and built up to wearing it 18 hours a day, including sleeping in it. She soon saw positive results and Saadia’s body has continued to improve. Her mign wearable has reduced the magnitude of curvature to 31 degrees in the thoracic spine and 23 degrees in the lumbar spine, according to Dr. Chapman.
“They noticed a nice change in her spine, and I saw the correction on the X-ray, which was quite pleasing,” says Saadia’s mother, Jerrilyn, who works in clinical research.
Saadia said her wearable gives her more freedom than she expected and she is encouraged by the changes. “I'm very excited to see how quickly I’ve almost outgrown the brace,” Saadia said. “It’s just like a happy moment because I can do stuff I thought I would be restricted from doing.”
At Saadia’s home, which she shares with her mom, dad, and brothers Bryson, 15, and Xavier, 17, Saadia sometimes races Bryson and plays football with her family in the yard. She also has twin 21-year-old sisters, Ashton and Mikiya, and a 25-year-old sister Devin.
Saadia stays busy with her school work, sketching, and baking (brownies are a specialty, to which she’ll add nuts, caramel, and chocolate chips). A hallway in her home showcases her artwork, which includes drawings and paintings of landscapes, portraits of American gymnasts Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas, silhouettes, and colorful abstract paintings, including one with silver sparkles.
Saadia says she is thinking of getting in track one day, maybe hurdling or sprinting, activities that Dr. Chapman says he can see Saadia doing one day. When her body stops growing, Saadia will no longer use the wearable.
“Absolutely, she can run track,” Dr. Chapman says. “One of the advantages of this brace is if she wears it regularly, it can ideally help her avoid surgery and keep her doing all those things she enjoys.”
Says Saadia’s mother, Jerrilyn: “mign has been there for us throughout this journey. Life didn’t have to change for Saadia, as far as her activities went, and she wasn't totally restricted. That was a good thing for us, and for her, knowing that she can be happy, live her life and continue to do fun things.”
