We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Esther Vazquez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Esther below.
Esther , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
When I got diagnosed with severe scoliosis at thirteen, I was in complete shock. To many, this is simply just a curve in the spine, but to me, it was so much more than that. This new diagnosis suddenly consumed me; it was hard for me and I didn’t know what my next steps were. I was told I needed surgery, but isn’t that a bit harsh for someone who didn’t know they had this before the appointment? I felt in dire need of support from people who could relate to me. I had so many questions and worries and even though I had a strong support system from loved ones and doctors around me, it still wasn’t enough; I felt like they lacked a certain kind of understanding that goes beyond “the curve” itself.
When I looked into scoliosis support groups around South Florida, none existed. I thought this was strange considering that there are so many support groups for a variety of different things. Considering the psychological effects scoliosis has had on me and so many others, there needed to be a community to unite people with the condition. There are so many aspects of scoliosis that are not often talked about, but I strongly believe(d) they should be!
With this problem in mind, I quickly became passionate about finding a solution. Unsure of how to approach this issue, I founded Got Your Back Miami. This problem, being so relevant to me, needed to be of help to the scoliosis community in the right way. With that, I got in touch with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and they loved the mission of GYBM. I soon began working with Dr. David McMillan (my mentor) in the early fall of 2023 and was super excited to see Got Your Back Miami develop into something that thirteen-year-old me would have dreamed of.
I reached out to many people in the scoliosis online community as well as several physicians, surgeons, and clinics to promote GYBM and tell people around them who may be affected by scoliosis about us. I also let them know about future events that they should stay tuned for. I soon organized our first support group meeting and it felt like I was making a positive difference in an immense aspect of my life and most definitely many other lives. I was so excited to hear what others had to say about their experiences and this event showed me that GYBM can help people open up about this condition that is often brushed off.
I recently hosted a pilates event in June for Scoliosis Awareness Month at Shake-A-Leg Miami and it went great! The many who came to the class could share their spinal stories and it was so inspiring! This was a great way to bring the community together to acknowledge scoliosis and it reminded me a lot about thirteen-year-old me. I was so full of anxiety and questions about my diagnosis to the point where I forgot so many other wonderful parts of life. This event made me realize that something so simple as Pilates can help someone be less tense about their condition and accept them for who they are.
In my experience, I found that the term “surgery” is seemingly thrown directly in your face right at the time of diagnosis. I felt like it could succeed because GYBM not only provides resources and lets the community know that there are OPTIONS when it comes to scoliosis, but we let them know that even if you don’t want to change it is okay. Our motto is “WE got your back,” because unlike any other community in South Florida for scoliosis, we truly got your back.
Esther , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Esther Vazquez and I am a senior in a Miami high school. I created Got Your Back Miami, a Scoliosis-Support non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, because of a gap I felt like I needed to fill within my South Florida community. I am passionate about expanding GYBM and making people feel like they can be open about their condition with others who can relate; that is something I lacked when first diagnosed and so I am strongly connected to our mission. I got into this because I knew that to make a difference, someone has to put a foot forward. I was not just going to wait for something like Got Your Back Miami to be brought about. Considering how it impacted me so much around the time of my diagnosis at thirteen, it would almost be unfair to my past self if I didn’t take advantage of the resources around me to make a change in some way.
What I was looking for was a fun community where activities and gatherings are done with people who understand your experiences, so, I made them happen. GYBM has hosted things like support-group meetings and Pilates classes and we find that they are a great way of uniting people. Being active on Instagram and interacting with different scoliosis-based accounts is one way that shines a light on what we do as well; we post affirmations and facts to inform people either familiar with the diagnosis or not about it. All of these things make us unique to the city of Miami. It shocks me to this day that there had not been an official Scoliosis-Support group in the city and so I am glad to be the first organization. These meetings and events are what make us stand out from others because they can bring together and put at ease people with scoliosis. I base what my goals are on how they would have helped me at my peak struggle, so I think this familiarity is a great guide in knowing what is best for others even though our specific experiences are not identical.
I am proud of how far I have come with Got Your Back Miami; we have recently made it an official non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and this will allow us many more valuable opportunities. Specifically, we will be able to grow the community further and host even better events through donations. I am very excited for what Got Your Back Miami has to come and I am certain that there are many more accomplishments to come!
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Considering how much Got Your Back Miami has grown since I first started it tells me that it will follow this trajectory in the future. At first, I was not sure about how I wanted to approach things and it was difficult to come to conclusions that were outside of my comfort zone. I was so lucky to have been given the chance to work with Dr. David McMillan and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, so I had to step out of my comfort zone and use this amazing opportunity to make a difference. I knew this was the best thing for me to do because no change would be made if I didn’t do it. With that, I hosted several events that went fantastic simply because I refused to stay within my comfortable boundaries. These gatherings went so well that I know that I need to continue hosting more and so my goal in the future is to host a large, formal gathering or something of that sort focusing on the psychological effects of scoliosis. Knowing how much it has affected me and many, many others, I would like there to be more information out there regarding its impact so that healthcare professionals can be more informed on how to approach this diagnosis without causing so much discomfort in patients. To get to that point, I am aware that it will take a long time to gain a passionate following with the same mentality, but based on how things are going for us, I am motivated and certain that my mission will occur.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
When first starting Got Your Back Miami, my social media following grew solely by word of mouth and sharing with friends and family. Although this is the case for most new organizations, I knew that I had to reach my target audience which is any kind of person affected by scoliosis. By sending emails to respected healthcare professionals within the region of South Florida, asking them to put up a flyer attached and tell people who may be positively affected by our mission, Got Your Back Miami was able to begin its following. After several months, I realized that because there is not an open Scoliosis-Support Group in Miami, I had to go beyond that. People who look for aid in aspects of scoliosis resort to these online communities that exist beyond Miami and so I knew it was essential that I reached out to them. This, in my opinion, was of greater success! I was able to discuss GYBM’s mission with people running accounts with extremely similar ideas and it was refreshing. This by far, was the best thing I have done to gain Got Your Back Miami a passionate following. As I got more followers, I realized that I was now on the feeds of many people because I get followers even when I don’t reach out or post that week. I am so glad with how much Got Your Back Miami has grown virtually and in-person since I first began it!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gotyourbackmiami.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotyourbackmiami/
