How the Scoliosis Compass Of NZ Came To Be…
Jeanine, a Mum of 3 daughters, 2 of which have been diagnosed with scoliosis in the last 4 years remembers when their first daughter was diagnosed with scoliosis.
“We were overwhelmed with emotion and didn’t feel the resources were available with helpful information, support groups, or resources to make informed choices. All information was scattered through different mediums.”
“There are some great facebook groups around that are super helpful but I just wanted one place to go to source my information and one place that would refer me to the options that we had available to us. We had enough to deal with just getting our heads around the diagnosis”
For months she considered reaching out to other families who were sharing similar experiences, wondering what the best way was to reach out. It wasn’t until her second child was diagnosed with scoliosis that it confirmed to Jeanine that something needed to happen. She reached out to scoliosis facebook groups to gauge interest and from there The Scoliosis Compass of New Zealand was born.
This website is to ensure that you are aware of all the different options of treatment available to you at a time when life has thrown you a curve ball. The Scoliosis Compass of New Zealand was established in 2025 and is still in its early stages. Driven by a passionate, dedicated group of women, this organisation is dedicated to providing education and support to families in New Zealand who are navigating scoliosis, along with its primary and secondary conditions.
We want to ensure that The Hub is a useful tool to as many people as possible, regardless of the specific treatment paths they might take. Covering the full range of options, from bracing and physical therapy to surgery and alternative treatments, will allow users to explore all possibilities and make well-rounded decisions for themselves or their loved ones.
By giving people access to accurate, well-organised content can help them feel empowered and reduce anxiety about their condition.
This web resource, or “The Hub” is to empower individuals with scoliosis and their families to make informed decisions, allowing them to question their personal scoliosis journey and allowing them to make the best decision for themselves.
OUR PURPOSE:
- To build a community website for individuals with scoliosis & their whanau.
- To provide support and education to people with scoliosis and their whanau through the website.
- To provide awareness of the condition to the wider community via the website and public events.
- To promote early awareness and prevention of the condition through schools, education and also through public events.
- Establish Regional Co-ordinators.
- In the future establishing Wellness Centres regionally.
The women behind the creation of this organisation are:
Jeanine Cassidy – Timaru
I am a mum of three daughters, two of whom are on very different scoliosis journeys. I initiated this working group because, when our first daughter was diagnosed, I felt overwhelmed, lonely, and isolated. I had no idea what our options were.
If there had been just one place that gave me a starting point, our journey with our girls could have been so different. And so, the idea for this website — “The Hub” — was born.
I’m excited to see where this journey takes this amazing group of ladies.
Genna Sparkes – Dunedin
Recently, my youngest child was diagnosed with severe scoliosis, leaving me feeling isolated and uncertain. As the team researcher and Otago Regional Co-ordinator for the Scoliosis Compass, my goal is to have this “Hub” be a valuable resource for others navigating their own scoliosis journey.
Stacey Vette – Hamilton
I am a 50 year old mother of three and was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 10. At the time, I was told I had to stop playing the sports I loved—hockey, soccer, and cricket—and that I was only allowed to swim and ride a bike. Seeking a second opinion changed everything. That specialist told us that as long as I stayed active, I would be fine. So that’s exactly what I did. Fast forward to 2025, I began experiencing persistent lower back pain along with nerve pain radiating down my leg. Further investigation revealed a thoracic Cobb angle of 46 degrees and a lumbar curve of 33 degrees. Suddenly, the condition I thought I understood resurfaced in a very different way. That moment sent me searching—for information, for answers, and for people who truly understood this journey. That’s how I connected with Jeanine and others who, like me, were trying to navigate scoliosis while managing pain, uncertainty, and complex health challenges. My hope is to create a space where others living with scoliosis can find shared experiences, practical insights, and reassurance that they are not alone. A place to ask questions, learn, advocate for themselves, and find ways to live fully despite a complicated diagnosis.
Alongside scoliosis, I also live with secondary health conditions. These overlapping conditions determine how I approach health, movement, pain, and self-advocacy—and why this community matters so much. If you’re here, you’re not broken, late, or alone. You’re learning—and so am I.
Joycelia Hyde – New Zealand
Joycelia is 46 years old living with scoliosis and secondary conditions and is based in New Zealand. She describes herself as a happy, rare, and unique individual with perhaps a little too much confidence —an overachieving, hyper, competitive spirit, but always a good girl at heart. She is well known for her positive attitude, strong sense of community, and a long list of achievements in community projects and volunteering. Joycelia thrives on contributing, uplifting others, and turning energy into meaningful action.