Published: June 10, 2026
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Though decades have passed, Angie Birge still remembers third grade.
“People started to notice that I had something wrong with me,” Angie said. “And they would make fun of me and be mean to me.”
Angie had just been diagnosed with scoliosis — a sideways curve of the spine. Her curve was pronounced, shaping not only how she stood, but also how she carried herself throughout her childhood.
“I wasn’t very outgoing when it came to [participating in] cheerleading or sports or anything like that, because of my stature, the way I stood and way I felt,” Angie said. “It played a huge part. I was embarrassed.”
As Angie grew older, she worked to overcome her obstacles. She became a mother and a grandmother, building a life filled with love. But the physical and emotional toll of her condition never left. Over time, embarrassment and pain persisted as her curve, posture and deformity worsened, seemingly by the day.
“It was more than a physical or a self-esteem issue,” she said. “Really it was a survival issue, because of the pain. It was so miserable, mentally, physically and emotionally. It was a lot to deal with. I couldn’t be on my feet. I didn’t have a social life. I didn’t go anywhere. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t leave the house. I gained a lot of weight. I just wasn’t myself. I didn’t like who I’d become. It was just … miserable. And something needed to change.”
She tried physical therapy, pain management and injections. Nothing seemed to work.
In 2024, she visited Mladen Djurasovic, M.D., spine surgeon with Norton Leatherman Spine. Together, they developed a surgical plan, and that December she underwent a fusion at the L2 and L3 vertebrae. Her surgery addressed her pain in the area and stabilized the vertebrae. Unfortunately, Angie’s deformity continued to progress.
To manage the deformity, Dr. Djurasovic referred Angie to his colleague Justin Mathew, M.D., orthopedic spine surgeon and a specialist in complex spinal deformities at Norton Leatherman Spine.
Angie met Dr. Mathew in November 2025 and formed and immediate bond. Over the next few months, they worked closely to prepare for surgery, addressing underlying conditions and gathering detailed imaging to gauge the flexibility of her spine and guide the surgical plan.
“I thought, ‘I really cannot go on like this,’” Angie said. “The time between those surgeries was, honestly, hell on earth. But from the first appointment, Dr. Mathew was all smiles. And [he said] ‘Are you up for this?’ I said, ‘Absolutely, let’s do it,’ and we never looked back.”
On Feb. 4 and 5, 2026, Dr. Mathew performed a nearly 10-hour, two-day surgery. The first day involved an anterior lumbar interbody fusion of vertebrae from L4 to S1 in Angie’s lower spine. On the second day, Dr. Mathew revised previous hardware, extended her fusion from the T4 vertebra (upper-mid back) down to her pelvis, and performed 10 posterior column osteotomies, or small cuts to Angie’s spinal bones, that allowed him to realign Angie’s spine and correct both her scoliosis (side curve) and kyphosis (front tilt).
The results were immediate.
“When I got out of surgery, I was in a lot of pain,” Angie said. “But I knew when I stood up for the first time that it was different. My back was different, and that was such an encouragement.”
“The beautiful thing with these deformity surgeries is that you can see a difference immediately,” Dr. Mathew said. “And in this case, it was strange; I can’t lie. Angie was shorter than I was when I first met her. But after surgery, I had to look up to her. Not something I’ve experienced often, but something that shows how impactful these procedures can be for patients.”
Now, more than 90 days out of surgery — and roughly 4 inches taller — Angie’s life looks drastically different. While she stills experiences occasional pain and some lingering neuropathy in her legs, she has regained mobility, confidence and independence. She’s lost the weight she had gained and is spending more time with family, friends and especially her two granddaughters.
For Angie, it’s the simple moments that mean the most.
“My best friend and I recently walked home from Fourth Street to my apartment,” she said. “We walked all down Fourth Street and back. That’s something to me. I haven’t been able to do [it] in a very long time. I felt so good about myself. We laughed. We took pictures. We had the best time. I got ice cream. It was just such a great time, and I haven’t been able to do that. And I haven’t felt that good about myself in so long. I look forward to doing that with my granddaughters. And just hanging out with them and not being embarrassed for them to be seen with me. … It’s overwhelming to me, to be honest.”
Today, Angie stands taller in every sense of the word, her spine steadied and her spirit renewed. What once felt like a life defined by limitation has been reshaped into one of possibility, where simple moments carry extraordinary meaning. The moments she once missed are now within reach, each one a reminder of how far she has come.
“The confidence I feel when I get up, get dressed and walk out of the house is so amazing,” she said. “And I could never thank Dr. Mathew enough for what he’s done for me. It’s amazing. He’s an amazing man. That he really is. When I look back at it, my story just takes my breath away because I never thought I could get to where I am now, and he changed that for me.”
“I think spinal deformity carries a cognitive burden that many people don’t understand,” Dr. Mathew said. “Patients’ spirits are low, and it really affects their quality of life and interactions with other people. But life after surgery is the light at the end of the tunnel. You can change their circumstances and allow them to engage more meaningfully with life.”
Reviewed by Justin Mathew, M.D. & Mladen Djurasovic, M.D.