The teenager, from Arklow in Ireland, had three vertebrae fused together where the spine in his neck had not developed properly and because of this he lived in constant fear of needing surgery to correct it. Jack was told that his only hope of having a normal life would be to undergo an incredibly risky and major operation which involves metal rods being inserted either side of the spine, before the spine is fused solid.
"When Jack was little all the consultants kept telling us was to wait and see what happens. I was terrified. When your child has something wrong with them you want to be given an answer, you want to know what to do, and the last thing you want to hear is that you need to wait!
The children’s hospital that Jack was registered with warned us of the risks regarding surgery; however they never gave us any hope of an alternative."
The Gaffney family became desperate to find an alternative solution and started to search the internet.
"It was at this point when my husband discovered Scoliosis SOS. The main problem we had was that the treatment centre was in England and we were living in Ireland. Although England wasn’t an awfully long way, it was still going to cause a great deal of disruption to my family. Uprooting them for four weeks seemed drastic."
In the end the Gaffney family decided that no matter how drastic the uprooting would be they had to go to England. Jack’s health was swinging in the balance and they had two options, allow him to have surgery or take a chance on some exercises that appeared to have worked for hundreds of other children.
After four weeks of ScolioGold treatment Jack’s improvement is obvious. He is now able to enjoy his last couple of years as a teenager and has regained a large amount of confidence. Jack’s condition had always prevented him from taking part in the activities he was passionate about. However after just a short course of exercises, Jack is back on his skateboard and has been told that he has a much brighter future to look forward to.
Jack has also reduced the rotation in his neck to the point where his cervical curve, caused by the Klippel-Feil, is no-longer classified as scoliosis.
The doctors from Crumlin Hospital, Ireland have said that, “Although there is no scientific proof that his condition is any better, we can see that Jack is improving."
Jack’s family is ecstatic that they have seen fantastic results in such a short space of time. They are also confident that they made the right decision by seeking alternative treatment to what was being offered at their local orthopaedic hospital.
"My life was such a whirlwind before I came to the SOS clinic," recalls Jack. "Every consultant I saw told me something different and I was terrified of surgery. I had no confidence and my self-esteem was badly affected. Now I can say with all honesty that I feel 100% better. My spine is improving everyday and I know with my commitment I can avoid surgery."
Whether you live in the UK, Ireland, or elsewhere in the world, please contact the Scoliosis SOS Clinic today to find out how we can help you (or someone you love) to overcome the effects of scoliosis.
Scoliosis SOS – London Clinic