Year and a half year old Nova Winslow will be travelling with her parents to Spokane, Wash. for scoliosis treatment (Photo courtesy Winslow family)

By Teagan Rasche

A GoFundMe has been set up

Local family travelling to Spokane for young daughter’s scoliosis treatment

Aug 25, 2021 | 11:44 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – While holding his little girl, James Winslow says “You’re a little warrior.”

He knows his daughter will get through this.

Year and a half old Nova Winslow is a happy, intelligent little girl, but her first birthday wasn’t the milestone James and his wife Sasha expected.

“Her first birthday was on the 23rd, and she was diagnosed with an xray on the 25th of February,” Sasha said.

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As the youngest of nine children, it came as a shock that the baby of the Winslow family was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.

Since her diagnosis, Nova is supposed to wear a hard, plastic brace 23 hours a day which is very difficult on everyone

“She’s usually so happy but if she’s in her brace, she’s just miserable,” Sasha said. “It’s like an everyday struggle.”

Despite a 52 degree curve in Nova’s spine, it hasn’t stopped her from learning to walk.

The 52 degree curve in Nova’s spine (Photo courtesy Winslow family)

The brace is supposed to help straighten the spine and while it’s restrictive and not ideal for a young child to wear, it is the best preventative measure.

“At this age, they are trying to do anything to prevent a surgery, but because her body is growing so rapidly obviously she’s at a young age, they are going to try to stick to this,” James said.

After making frequent trips to Calgary for medical appointments, James and Sasha wanted more options.

Next month, they are taking Nova to see pediatric orthopedic specialists at Shriners Hospital for Children in Spokane. One of the doctors, Bryan Tompkins, says there are many different types of scoliosis.

“About a third of the curves just stay there, a third of the curves get bigger and a third of the curves worsen,” Tompkins said. “It’s the ones that worsen we worry about. When you’re little and you develop scoliosis, it impacts how your lungs develop. You don’t form full lung function.”

Shriners also has a program which Tompkins says can completely correct scoliosis.

While James and Sasha are optimistic about seeing new doctors, it doesn’t come without additional stress.

“I know they do help with one parent for some expenses up there but the other parent is responsible,” Sasha said.

James and Sasha’s oldest daughter Brooklyn started a GoFundMe, to help with expenses for the second parent and to afford the basics for the rest of the family who’ll stay in Medicine Hat.

While there are still a lot of unknowns about the future, the Winslows have hope.

“We’re glad that we detected it at a young age,” James said.

The Winslows also hope their journey brings more awareness to scoliosis.