WHEN Lucy Jenkins saw the x-ray of her severely curving spine, she says she was shocked and scared - her mum Deb says the teenager burst into tears.

But this Newport High School pupil is made of stern stuff, for she not only has she begun to get to grips with life with scoliosis, the condition that caused the curvature, but she is determined too, to raise awareness in the hope it can be spotted as early as possible in others.

For now, Lucy's condition means she must spend 23 hours a day strapped into a plastic contraption known as a Boston brace, to try to minimise further curvature - but ultimately, the extent of her scoliosis means major spinal fusion surgery will be needed to correct it.

"I'd never heard of scoliosis before. I had no idea there was anything wrong," she said.

"I wasn't in any pain or even discomfort. It was a bit of a shock though, when I saw the x-ray - that was quite scary."

That x-ray shows, says Lucy's mum Deb Jenkins, a 60° curve at the top of her spine and a 70° degree curve at the bottom.

"It's so significant, it is almost inevitable she will have to have a fusion operation. That will involve two rods going down her spine, each one fused to vertebrae," said Mrs Jenkins, who lives with husband Jonathan and their children - Lucy and 11-year-old sister Hannah, in Malpas, Newport.

"She burst into tears when she saw it - but she, and we as a family, are determined to raise more awareness of scoliosis."

It was Lucy's paternal grandmother who last summer said she thought Lucy was walking unevenly, but Mrs Jenkins initially put it down to her carrying a heavy school bag.

"I didn't think anymore of it, but Jon's mum mentioned it again so I checked, ran a finger down her spine, and I could feel a distortion and her shoulder blades weren't aligned," said Mrs Jenkins.

A GP appointment followed, where a touch-toes test revealed a bump on Lucy's back. Two weeks later the x-ray confirmed it, and Lucy was referred to spinal experts at the Royal Gwent Hospital and then the Noah's Ark Children's Hospital for Wales in Cardiff.

An MRI scan followed, to check there were no underlying problems and no organs were being affected, then she was measured for the brace, which involved making a plaster of Paris cast of Lucy's torso so one could be made specially for her.

"The curve is an 's' shape, not a 'c' so she's balanced," said Mrs Jenkins, who added that Lucy may have to wear the brace until she is 16.

"They can measure the scale of her growing through bone density, and they've said that when she stops growing, theoretically, the spine should stop curving.

"Her most recent x-ray showed a slight progression in the curve, but hopefully the brace is doing its job, or she is coming to the end of her growth.

"We're not really sure where the scoliosis has come from, because there isn't a family history. But there is an increased likelihood with siblings. Hannah has been tested and could potentially develop it."

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Lucy is telling her story in what is Scoliosis Awareness Month, and ahead of International Scoliosis Awareness Day on June 27 - and meanwhile, is doing yoga and keeping up ballet sessions once or twice a week, welcome breaks from life in that brace.

"It's heavy, really uncomfortable but I can deal with it. It's wearing a huge piece of plastic strapped around you," said Lucy, who even has to sleep whilst wearing it.

"I thought that would be difficult but it's not been too bad, I've not been tossing and turning.

"It's difficult to sit up and the brace is visible through my clothes.

"I have to wear my dad's t-shirts. I can't pick up things from the floor because I have restricted movement."

These are all things Lucy is prepared to put up with however, and she wants people to look out for the signs of scoliosis, be it in themselves or their children.

"It's really important to try to spot the signs. I was diagnosed when I was 12. The earlier you spot it, the better, and if you suspect just a tiny bit, make an appointment with your doctor," she said.

She has also made friends through social media with other young people who have scoliosis.

"That's been really good, talking to others who are dealing with the same thing I am," she said.

Lucy's is known as idiopathic adolescent scoliosis - idiopathic means there is no identified cause. Though it can affect people of any age, it starts most often in children aged 10-15. According to the Scoliosis Association UK three to four children per 1,000 need specialist supervision.

Signs include a visibly curved spine, leaning to one side, uneven shoulders, a shoulder or a hip sticking out, and ribs sticking out on one side.

Back pain can also be a symptom, though this is more common in adults.