I Have 15 Screws In My Head To Straighten My Spine | BORN DIFFERENT

27-YEAR-OLD Steffni was born with a condition that usually only affects males - in fact, her case is so rare that she is thought to be "one in 50 million." Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive condition that causes the muscles throughout the body to become weaker over time. When Steffni was diagnosed at three years old, her mom Sally was told that her daughter would not make it past seven years old and despite defying those expectations, her muscles were soon unable to support her spine and she developed severe scoliosis - her spine "curved into a 'S'" shape. This in turn put pressure on her right lung, so doctors suggested operating to glue 15 screws to her skull, connected to a circular band of metal around her head - known as a 'Halo'. The Halo could then be connected to cables above Steffni's head and pulled tight, to stretch out her spine and slow the progression of the scoliosis. Steffni was hoping to have surgery to correct the curve of her spine, but when this was deemed too risky for her, the Halo became permanent - Steffni will live with it for the rest of her life. While she struggled growing up with frequent stares and judgement due to the way the Halo looked, Steffni gradually learned to accept her situation with the support of her mom and brothers Trey and Tyrone. Now, Tyrone sees his sister "living to her best and doing what she likes to do" - with Trey putting this down to his sister being "the strongest person I know." And in typical Steffni fashion, she has found silver linings - like being able to take steps in her special "walker", something she never expected to be able to do as an adult. Now, Steffni's mission is to use her platform as a content creator to reach other young people with disabilities to remind them that if they are having a bad day, "it's just a bad day - not a bad life".

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