In San Diego , over 100,000 individuals have scoliosis , an abnormal curvature of the spine affecting people of all ages , from infancy through adulthood . The majority of those affected however , are adolescents .
Since 2008 , the Setting Scoliosis Straight Foundation ( SSSF ), headquartered in San Diego , has supported families impacted by spine disorders by providing access to medical research , family-friendly educational tools and a safe online platform for patients to share their stories .
The mission of SSSF is to advance treatment and improve care in children with spinal deformities by supporting the efforts of the Harms Study Group ( HSG ), a research team comprised of 38 surgeon volunteers spanning across the United States and Canada . Named after Professor Juergen Harms , a world-renowned spinal deformity surgeon , the HSG has pioneered new innovations in scoliosis treatment which has improved the lives of children with spinal deformities for over twenty years . Today , their decades of hard work have laid the foundation for what is now considered one of the leading health development research organizations in the world .
At the helm of the Harms Study Group is Dr . Peter Newton , Chief of Orthopedics at Rady Children ’ s Hospital and President of the Setting Scoliosis Straight
Co-Chairs Howard Greenberg , Richard Gelbart and Alan Olsen
Foundation . Dr . Newton , a California native , made his way to San Diego to earn his undergraduate degree at UCSD in Bioengineering . After attending medical school at the University of Texas , Dr . Newton returned to UCSD to complete his orthopedic surgery training . 25 years ago , he accepted a position as a Pediatric Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at what is today , Rady Children ’ s Hospital of San Diego . He and his wife , Cathy , have three children ; Alison , Kira and Walker .
Dr . Newton ’ s passion for research and leadership has allowed him to serve as President of the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America and most recently , incoming President of the Scoliosis Research Society . It is his unwavering commitment to the families he serves , and the city he calls home , which makes him a dedicated and valuable leader in our community .
With June designated as National Scoliosis Awareness month , SSSF is hosting back-to-back community events on June 1 & 2 , 2018 , and hopes to gain the support of San Diegans to help spread the word and donate to pediatric spinal deformity research .
On June 1 , SSSF is hosting Give BACKS Hope , a scoliosis awareness and fundraising event at UCSD ’ s Great Hall . This event brings together San Diego ’ s scoliosis community to applaud courageous patient ambassadors while raising funds for pediatric spine research . This event is led by co-chairs , Alan Olsen , an SSSF board member , along with , Richard & Kristine Gelbart and Howard Greenberg , both whose daughters had their scoliosis surgery performed by Dr . Newton .
On Saturday , June 2 , SSSF is hosting an all-day educational event at Rady Children ’ s Hospital and inviting families from all over Southern California to attend .
Scoliosis patient
To learn more about SSSF or to register for their upcoming events go to : www . settingscoliosisstraight . org
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