Nick Gaudio -

Mohammad Diab, MD, and his longtime patient, Carol Tran, are working together to design an app that helps sufferers of scoliosis parse through some of the more difficult aspects of pre- and postoperation life, reports KTVU news.

Ms. Tran, 23, has had severe scoliosis since she was 11 years old and explained that she met Dr. Diab through her condition.

Dr. Diab had performed a second spinal fusion surgery on Ms. Tran when a first surgery had failed to correct the irregular curvature of her spine.

That surgery — the second — was successful and Ms. Tran was able to join her high school's swim team and even complete undergraduate school at Harvard.

Now, the app the pair are crafting includes a checklists on how to prepare for surgery. Ms. Tran said she hopes it will be the most all-inclusive resources available for scoliosis sufferers.

Dr. Diab, Chief of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery at University of California San Francisco's Medical Center, said it's been rewarding to have treated treating Ms. Tran as a child and watching her recover and turn into an advocate for scoliosis.

Ms. Tran is working as an intern for Dr. Diab and plans to attend medical school in the fall.

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