From Patient to Future Surgeon? Justin's Story

When he was 13, Justin began to develop severe pain in his back.

It progressed steadily to the point where he could barely finish a day of school. Believing it to be a scoliosis concern, his primary care physician referred him to Shriners Children’s Portland. It was there that several tests were done and X-rays taken that led to an accurate diagnosis Justin had Scheurmann’s kyphosis.

A rare condition characterized by extreme curvature of the back, the diagnosis explained his postural issues and chronic back pain.

“When I was first diagnosed, I was racked with tons of emotions that took a while to truly process,” Justin said. “At just 14 years old, I was still young and had never experienced anything like that before.”

The team at Shriners Children’s Portland explored several care plans with Justin. He was too old for bracing, as serial bracing is designed to work with growing bones, so his treatment began with physical therapy. However, over time, his curvature worsened, and the pain progressed to the point that surgery became the recommended option.

“What I most appreciate about the Shriners Children’s team is that they recognized that Justin was mature enough to be the one to make the decisions when it came to his health journey,” Sufia, Justin’s mother, said. “They gave him the truth about the risks and the rewards of making this life-changing decision.”

Per the doctor’s recommendation, Justin underwent spinal fusion surgery in October 2022. While the surgery process was long and emotionally difficult, the staff at Shriners Children’s Portland provided Justin with care and support like he had never experienced at any other hospital, making his stay much easier.

“Shriners Children’s offered so much to Justin beyond the medical side,” Sufia said. “They connected on the emotional and mental health side of what he was facing, which was so appreciated.”

After his surgery, Justin began the recovery and rehabilitation process at Shriners Children’s Portland, which took about six months.

As he recovered fully and the pain began to subside, Justin found a new confidence and drive. His freshman year was marked by pain that kept him from extracurricular activities. By his sophomore year, he was almost pain-free and involved in multiple clubs, including Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society and his school’s Associated Student Body, as he explored what he wanted to do with his life.

When Justin is not involved in his many interests at school, he loves programming, listening to music, collecting vinyl records, hanging out with friends and helping his community. He recently started a program that aims to teach computer programming to middle school students in his area.

Wanting to give back to the hospital, Justin became a Patient Ambassador for Shriners Children’s Portland in 2023. This has given him great opportunities to share his story at events such as the 100 Year Anniversary Gala and the Oregon East West Shrine Game. And in 2024, he organized a toy drive and hand-delivered about 150 donations to Shriners Children’s Portland.

So what’s next for Justin? He has recently been looking at universities and narrowing his list. And as for what he will be studying?

“I hope to someday be a pediatric surgeon at a Shriners Children's hospital,” Justin said. “Being in such a supportive, caring, positive environment during such a low point in my life showed me that I want to make similar differences in other's lives.”