Sophomore Makes Best Out of Lanyards in Effort to Fundraise for Surgery
Sophomore Sydney Hohenbrink has made the best out of student identification badges being required by selling an assortment of items to fundraise for her upcoming surgery for scoliosis.
Hohenbrink said, “I have scoliosis and soon need to get surgery. My back has two curvatures in the spine. My ribs are starting to rotate causing a strain on my lungs and heart making it hard to breathe and is consistently painful.”
Scoliosis is a condition where the backbone will curve to one side; any curve that is more than 10 degrees is considered scoliosis.
In addition, doctors divide scoliosis into two main categories, structural and non-structural. Non-structural scoliosis is when the spine functions normally, but looks curved. Structural scoliosis is when the curve of the spine is rigid and can only be fixed with surgery.
Hohenbrink has structural scoliosis with 37 degree curve in her spine and a 19 degree rotation of the thoracic cavity.
“Scoliosis keeps me from being active. I’m usually in pain, but I’m used to hiding it. I only get 75% of air and anxiety doesn’t help,” Hohenbrink said.
Her family’s insurance unfortunately will not be able to cover all costs for her surgery, and “at the moment the deductible alone is $8,000, not to mention anything the insurance doesn’t cover,” Hohenbrink said.
In order to help her family afford the necessary surgery, Hohenbrink is making various crafts such as retractable name tag badges, small throw pillows, crocheted hand towels, homemade purses, and homemade hot plates and selling them as a fundraiser to get enough money for her surgery.
She is in the process of making keychains, necklaces, and stepping stones for gardens, as well.
Hohenbrink is selling these items at her mother’s workplace.
“It’s going pretty well because we have a lot of things being sold and it’s ongoing. Plus, on top of that, we can explain why we are doing this and people love what we are trying to do,” Hohenbrink said about the progress of her fundraiser.
When the school administration required students to wear visible I.D.’s, Hohenbrink found a great new clientele: teachers and students.
The lanyard clip reel that Hohenbrink makes is decorated using plastic discs often cut and designed to make images. Some of the images include flowers, ladybugs, and even Mickey Mouse.
If interested, the lanyard reels cost $2.
