Before John Delaney could even celebrate his first birthday, his grandma noticed a hump in his back. They immediately called the doctor and had X-rays performed. They found a 30-degree curve of the spine.

“It was very upsetting,” John’s mom Courtney Delaney said. “It was really difficult on John, it was very difficult on us. Life as we knew it came to an end.”

John was diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition that causes the spine to curve sideways and in most cases, is diagnosed around puberty. In John’s case, he was diagnosed at six months old, which was extremely rare.

When Delaney learned to walk he wore a brace to keep his spine in place. As he grew the curve worsened and it ended up going from a 30-degree curve to a 100-degree curve.

At the age of seven, a more drastic measure needed to be taken. Delaney was hospitalized for a month and treated with halo-gravity traction. Three weeks later, he had metal growing rods attached to his spine to make sure the spine grew correctly.

“That summer was cooked, I couldn’t do anything,” Delaney said. “The worst part is, I couldn’t swim.”

This continued for the rest of the surgeries he would have in his grade school years, as each one brought limitations to physical activity. Delaney’s classmates at Ascension Grade School were very supportive of him. They had known him since kindergarten and brought a sense of normalcy.

“I love sports, but I couldn’t play during recess, I would have to ref the games instead,” Delaney said. “It was kind of hard starting but everybody was pretty nice about it.”

Delaney left Ascension Grade School after second grade and started third grade at St. Alban Roe School. Delaney had a difficult time in his first year as it took time for his new classmates and teachers to learn how scoliosis affected his life.

Through all of his hardships and new adjustments, his community was there for Delaney and his family. From the friends who visited him during his procedures in the hospital, to their families who set up meal trains for Delaney’s family, and the medical professionals who made sure Delaney went back home in good shape, everyone played a crucial role in supporting his recovery.

Today, after receiving a full spinal fusion, his spine is straight, but it cannot bend as much as a normal boy his age. He still can’t play contact sports, and it’s even a pain to sit on the floor with the way his spine has formed now. John has found joy in playing golf and fishing.

Delaney felt inspired by all the help he received early on in his childhood to help kids in similar situations. He found a charity when he was seven and helped raise money for new transportation for kids who had just received complete spinal fusion. Before this, they would have a hot and bumpy ride home in buses, now there was enough money for air-conditioned cabs.

“It’s kind of nice to help out when I know other people helped me out.” Delaney said. “I know I was in the same position as these kids so I wanted to start helping them.”