Chip Chick
For about a month, she was relearning to walk and dealing with the effects of surgery. But by building her endurance, she eventually began walking every day, further and further. Happy ending, right?
Unfortunately, Lauren was hit by a car a few months later during her daily walk. She was shocked and devastated by this turn of events and terrified that the new physical trauma would void her surgeries.
“My screws literally came loose, and an emergency surgery had to be performed to keep my rods, my new spine, from breaking in two.” Lauren shared on her website. “Surgery number three came and went, but the pain never did. It was excruciating.”
So, where did she go from here? Most doctors suggested another risky surgery, but she learned that this would likely lead to hip replacements, knee replacements, and more years of pain.
Still, during this challenging period, Lauren never gave up hope that she’d find a solution. And she began thinking deeply about her childhood. “Why did I have to feel so alone, for so long, when there were so many people out there that were just like me? … “How can I keep other kids from feeling this way?”
Then she had her big idea; the Higgy Bear, who would have a back brace, just like so many kids with scoliosis do. That way, even if no one around them shared or understood their condition, “he would be a friend where one didn’t exist.” She wrote.
Today, Higgy bears are sold in all fifty states and more than 60 countries!
Eventually, Lauren found a physical therapist willing to work with her to reduce her pain. And this newfound source of hope only drove her harder to achieve her goals.
Lauren is now developing a non-profit sector of the Higgy Bear company to donate free bears to children. “My dream has always been for every patient to be given a Higgy Bear when they first get their brace, and my dreams are in the process of coming true!”
To read Lauren’s remarkable story or find your own Higgy Bear, you can check out her website.
