Chloe Carriere was born with congenital scoliosis. At age three, she went through her first surgery.
Now, every nine months, the Ottawa resident travels to Boston to get the titanium rods in her spine adjusted.
Not an easy thing for anyone to deal with, especially not a 13-year-old. But Chloe, who was born with a condition that causes a curvature in her spine, takes it in stride.
“I go through a lot of pain,” she said. “I’m in a really bad mood for two weeks. It limits my mobility and at gym at school, I can’t do gymnastics or sit-ups. I can’t do some stuff that other kids can do.”
When a child lives with a condition like Chloe’s, it affects the whole family, said her mother, Lise Carriere.
“It can either split you up or make you stronger,” she said. “You’re handing your child over to a doctor for surgeries and seeing your child go through pain. It’s very stressful.”
In 2006, Chloe and her family got a break from the medical appointments and everyday routine with a trip to Walt Disney World from the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
As this year’s walk ambassador at Saturday’s Starlight Children’s Foundation’s annual Walk For Smiles, Chloe said she’s “hoping to give back to the foundation so that another child can have the same opportunity.”
