SCOLIOSIS STRUGGLE HARLIN'S HIP-HOP DREAM

The talented teen needs surgery to continue dancing

- Monique Balvert-O'Connor

Harlin Strang is rocking the hip-hop world with jumps, rolls and flips that defy the debilitating medical condition threatening her active life.

The Nelson teen represented New Zealand at the Hip Hop Unite World Championships in Portugal in 2024 and has just qualified to do so again this year in Prague.

But there's an even more challenging overseas trip looming on the horizon for this tenacious 13-year-old. Harlin will travel to the US early next year for life-changing scoliosis surgery to rectify the severe curvature of her spine.

Without the operation, not only will her dancing dreams be threatened, but she'll face ongoing pain, limited movement and serious long-term complications, including potential reduced lung function, say her parents Andrew and Brooke Strang.

This is because Harlin has severe idiopathic scoliosis. Where the spine is traditionally straight, Harlin's features an "S" curve. X-rays show there's a 56-degree bend in the worst of the two places. The naked eye can detect it too, which Harlin's aware of.

"I can see that one side of my spine sticks out more," she shares. "When the doctors showed us the X-ray of my spine, I was shocked and kind of sad."

Her parents remember that appointment well. Brooke says, "I was devastated and in shock. I couldn't believe my eyes. Andrew and I both cried."