A scoliosis diagnoses could mean wearing a back brace for years or facing major surgery and its victims are usually preteens. 7&4's Stacey Skrysak shows us how a Northern Michigan family is dealing with the health crisis.

She had a sore throat and we took her to her doctor," says mother Tammy Daleski, "she says to Cassandra, 'can you step down and touch your toes.  The doctor looked up and said do you know your daughter has scoliosis"  It was that doctor appointment more than four years ago that began a health battle this Alpena family had never imagined, a scoliosis diagnoses.

"Scoliosis is a condition in which the spine curves to the side as opposed to the normal curve where the spine goes to the front and back," explains Dr. Jeff Cassidy of Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.  Scoliosis is usually diagnosed between the ages of eight and twelve.  "That's when we first start to notice it," Dr. Cassidy says, "it starts to curve abnormally.  It grows fast when they grow fast.  A normal back should have a nice smooth contour all the way up and not uneven side to side." 

With an 85 degree curve, Cassandra Deleski began her road to recovery with a back brace when she was twelve years old.  "She had to go through the process of having a back brace made," Tammy says, "and she had to wear it 23 hours a day, just to push the spine back so it wouldn't curve anymore."  Cassandra's doctor wanted to give her body time to grow because the next step meant placing a titanium bar in her spine, which would straighten her back, but also stunt her growth.  "The brace doesn't make the curve better themselves," Dr. Cassidy says, "they just prevent them from getting any worse from the day we start treatment."  Four years after wearing the brace Cassandra's curve started to worsen, which meant it was time for surgery.  "We expose all of the bones from the spine and then put in different points of fixation," Dr. Cassidy explains, "different screws and hooks and then connect them all with rods and slowly straighten the spine." 

Now, just weeks after her surgery, the sixteen year old says she's feeling much better.  "I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders," Cassandra says, "like everything is done finally and I don't have to worry about a brace or stress of surgery anymore.  It's all done."  Cassandra isn't the one feeling better.  "It's a relief to know that she will be fine and she can have a normal life," Tammy says.  "It's a big load off of me and she's a great kid she's really positive about everything."  The many years of concern are never far from their thoughts and they hope other families facing the same battle stay positive.  "Just keep working at it you can't give up," Cassandra says.

Cassandra will be heading back to school the first week in December, and she says after about a year of healing she will have no restrictions.  She is especially looking forward to doing her favorite activity bowling.