Alexa Scoliosis patient

Alexa

16-year-old | scoliosis patient

From ice skating to art curating, Alexa is doing what she loves.

Curate your own dreams

When Alexa was younger she fell in love with the art of ice skating. Today, she still skates but another form of art has stolen her heart. From renaissance to impressionism, 16-year-old scoliosis patient Alexa dreams of curating her favorite works of art when she's older. Find out what she's drawn up for her own exhibit.

Favorite Care Team Member

Understanding the art of spinal surgery

Every child is different. Every dream unique. And no one understands this more than Christopher Redman, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Children's Health℠ Andrews Institute. Before treating Alexa, he sat down with her to understand her hopes and dreams. This helped him devise a care plan for her to succeed in the future – be it ice skating or art history.

About Children's Health Andrews Institute

Patient Story

Painting the road to recovery

At age 16, Alexa Hassell underwent spinal surgery to repair severe scoliosis at the Children's Health℠ Andrews Institute Spine Center. Four months after surgery, she was back studying art history and participating in her favorite pastime – ice skating.

Read her story

Favorite Art work

Dreaming of water lilies

Waking up to just one of the 250 paintings of water lilies by French Impressionist Claude Monet would be a dream come true for Alexa. Depicting Monet's flower garden, these oil paintings were done in the last 30 years of Monet's life. And although breathtaking, he suffered from severe cataracts while creating them. You might say art was his form of therapy.

More about art therapy

Favorite Activity

Skating is a pastime pleasure

Ice skating has always come naturally for 16-year-old Alexa Hassell. And although it's not her dream job, she can't imagine her life without it. In fact, she competes regularly and coaches younger skaters weekly. Are you ready to take your game up to a competitive level?

Learn about sport performance