A proud drum majorette from Potchefstroom Girls High School is battling severe scoliosis, a condition that is threatening to derail her dreams.

Oletshegofaditse Rethabile Angel Dikgang, known as Rethabile, is a 14-year-old learner at Potch Girls High who endures agonising daily pain due to an S-shaped curvature of her spine that twists severely with movement.

Her doctors have advised that she wear a specialised, custom-engineered scoliosis brace to help prevent the curvature from worsening and to relieve her pain. While it is not a cure, the brace could significantly improve her quality of life.

Rethabile’s family has launched a crowdfunding campaign through BackaBuddy to help raise the thousands of rands needed to purchase the medical device.

A recent growth spurt has accelerated the progression of her scoliosis, making the condition increasingly difficult to manage.

Rethabile is also a member of the North West Children’s Choir and has a passion for singing. Sadly, even singing is becoming painful for the bubbly 14-year-old.

“My back is skew, which leaves me in constant pain. It makes it difficult for me to play sport or participate in school activities. I recently joined the majorettes, and I don’t want to stop.

“Sadly, scoliosis has no cure, but wearing a back brace can slow the progression of the condition and help manage it.

“I need a specialised brace, which is very expensive. I want to raise awareness about this chronic condition,” said Rethabile.