Jaime Jimenez, The Scoliosis Soldier

In our society, sometimes people can be insecure about their physical health, one issue being scoliosis.

While other young men are afraid of sharing their stories, 21 year old SUNY New Paltz student and Syracuse native, Jaime Jimenez is not.

Jimenez was born on Tuesday June 29th, 1999, in Upstate Medical Center. When Jaime Jimenez Sr., and Tina Bagliere were expecting their son, the doctors found out that Jaime would be born with scoliosis.

Jimenez was born three months early and had to wear a brace until he was five.

"I had issues sitting up, and I would always be rolling over, as a very young child," says the now college senior.

Jimenez had to get thirteen surgeries from the time he was age two to age fourteen.

Jimenez lived in Camillus until he was four, and then he moved to the house where he currently resides in Clay.

"They took the old metal out of his rod, and I brought it to show and tell. All the kids freaked out. Kids would call me 'Mr. Metal.'"

However, Jimenez developed a love for basketball, at a very young age, and played for the YMCA Liverpool League.

"It taught me how to start playing basketball. I could not be as physical at the time. There are certain workouts that I could not do. The kids who I played with would call me hunchback."

Jimenez attended Cicero-North Syracuse High School, and managed to play on the basketball team.

He participated in the Regional DECA, a business proposal contest, when he was in tenth and eleventh grade.

"I had a lot of insecurity in my body. People I did not know would not talk to me. Still, I am a very social person."

Jimenez attended Keuka College in the Rochester area.

"The opportunity to be a part of the team was incredible and allowed me to be more than just an individual. It allowed me to have some real brothers who I still know today. It taught me very valuable life lessons I will not forget."

"Players like David Oliveras, Zion Chase, Trevor Powell, Sam Brown, DJ Billings, and Alex Medellin had a positive impact on me. They would always be more than just players on the court to me, they would be my brothers no matter what. I still talk to them, and the impact we had on each other takes us further than the game of basketball.

Jimenez started an Instagram account, @scoliosissoldier, to be a role model to males who have scoliosis, and other physical disabilities. Jimenez has just recently started posting. The account already has 170 followers, and he wants to use this so males like him can be happy about who they are.