FALL RIVER — If Kayla Aguiar’s spirit had been broken, it would have been understandable.
Instead, the young woman overcame years of pain from scoliosis and being bullied at school for wearing a back brace and being overweight. Today, Aguiar is physically and mentally stronger than ever — and has lost some 85 pounds to boot.
“Proud” is how Aguiar, 23, describes her feelings.
“Every day, there’s progress,” Aguiar said. “What motivates me is helping other people.”
Aguiar was in the fifth grade when she was diagnosed with scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt before puberty, according to the Mayo Clinic web site.
By the time she was in seventh grade, Aguiar was wearing a back brace 24 hours a day and “starting to have a lot of pain.”
“I got made fun of my whole life,” Aguiar said.
Despite the physical pain from her severe curvature, Aguiar stopped wearing the brace.
