A “very active” teenage girl, 16, is running out of options as she requires a fairly expensive treatment overseas to treat her scoliosis.

Zoe Anastasia Cronin, from Northwood has found herself in an unusual situation as just months before the Covid-19 pandemic she discovered she had a potentially damaging Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and needs major surgery.

Her parents called the diagnosis in October 2019 “fairly traumatic” after discovering that her back was curved by 59 degrees and would need a major operation to prevent any further damage to her ribs.

But when looking for any help within recent months, the condition was overshadowed with the current events during the coronavirus outbreak.

Her father Peter Cronin explained the signs of her scoliosis first appeared after she returned from a camping exhibition with severe back aches.

Due to the extreme curve the 16-year-old needs non-fusion spinal surgery, different from the standard treatment offered in the NHS as it preserves continous growth and flexibility.

Her father said: “It was the worst thing ever, it came out of nowhere.

“But because of it, we have been on a journey as we found ways to campaign for money, joined Facebook groups, raised awareness and found other parents appealing with the same messages.

Her mother Mirella said: “When she was seeing the doctors, there’s this doubt in the back of your mind thinking 'what if this is something serious', and you kind of think there’s no way she’d need surgery like that.”

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis appears later in childhood, the cause of which is unknown.

Watford Observer:

The scan showing the 59 degrees curve

Mr Cronin explained that after the diagnosis, there was a “massive feeling of guilt” as the couple questioned whether their parenting could have caused the condition.

He said: “We went through old photos looking to see if we could spot where the first signs of the scoliosis were.

“We’re conscious Zoe is feeling uncomfortable, she was at the end of her GCSE’s, not seeing her friends because of lockdown, and has this major operation coming - so we’re helping her balance her mental health.”

During the lockdown period, Miss Cronin has still had monthly video conference check ups to assure her progress is fine, but there hasn’t been an x-ray since January to see if her condition has worsened.

Now the family have to raise £75,000 for the non-fusion spinal surgery overseas, as the operation is not supported by the NHS at this time.

The family have been running a social media campaign to raise awareness about scoliosis, provide support and hold Q&A’s about the condition.

The platform has been of help to others with scoliosis, and is being used to promote their fundraising campaign.

To donate to the fundraiser and help Miss Cronin with her surgery, visit the JustGiving page here and follow her awareness campaign on her Instagram @zoenonfusion.