Meet Braiden Maither. Last year, Braiden was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton, which affects joints in the spine and the sacroiliac joint in the pelvis. In severe cases, complete fusion and rigidity of the spine can occur. You don’t have to be an orthopedic specialist to understand this can be a very painful and crippling disease. Simply walking can be extremely difficult and painful, let alone trying to surf.
As debilitating as this disease can be, Braiden was determined not to let it control his life. Only one year later and countless hours of physical therapy, he’s already getting barreled off his head in Indonesia. This is one inspirational dude. Here’s what Braiden had to say about his journey:
This is my edit from a trip to Indonesia this last month. It has been exactly a year since the first signs of my disease started showing up and taking control of my life. I was diagnosed with Arthritis (ankylosing spondylitis) just after that. So I am really proud to have finished this video around this time to see how far I have come. I only just started surfing a few months ago after battling with rehab and doctors to get my life back together. Thanks for watching! Hope you like it!
MORNING PRICE from Braiden Maither on Vimeo.
