Hailyn Devine
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Young Adult Honoree
 Six years ago, at the age of 13, Hailyn started developing back pain so severe it caused her to miss out on even the simplest activities with her family and peers. As time went on, her pain progressed into her hips. Hailyn was initially told her symptoms were because she was “so tall.” She is in fact tall, but ultimately we knew there had to be something more. After several appointments with her primary care physician, chiropractor, physical therapy, and imaging, in 2021, that the positive “HLA-B27” gene finally put a name to Hailyn’s symptoms. ankylosing spondylitis. With the help of her medical team 200+ miles away and her family and friends, Hailyn has been able to manage her symptoms to enjoy what it's like to be a young adult and be a role model for her sister who also lives with ankylosing spondylitis.
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Dr. Karen Boselli is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon, practicing at Concord Orthopaedics in Concord, New Hampshire. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and went on to study medicine at Georgetown University. Her residency training was completed at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a fellowship in Shoulder, Elbow and Sports Medicine at Columbia University. Her clinical interests include shoulder reconstructive surgery, and the surgical and non-surgical treatment of shoulder, elbow, and sports-related injuries.
In the spring of 2022, Brevynn began experiencing intense pain in her lower back. Because Brevynn was a figure skater, her symptoms were originally thought to be related to her time on the ice. However, even after she stopped skating Brevynn’s symptoms persisted. This was a red flag for her family as her older sister had been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis the year prior. Although negative for the “HLA-B27” gene, imaging revealed just the same news for Brevynn. At the age of 15, her diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis was made in the fall of 2023. Under the care of her rheumatologist 4 hours from home, and those that are close to her, Brevynn works to manage symptoms to enjoy her teenage years. She is grateful that she has her sister for first hand support throughout her ankylosing spondylitis journey.