Peters Township resident bringing attention to Scheuermann’s Disease

In 1983, Doug Strott was a vibrant runner. The Whitehall native excelled on the Baldwin High School track team.
At age 17, however, head coach Chuck McKinney noticed something wrong with Strott’s gait.
“Coach McKinney recognized that I had back problems and he sent me to see a doctor,” he said.
Strott was diagnosed with Scheuermann’s Disease. The rare spine disorder presents itself in children during adolescence. The skeletal disease is often noted by an accentuated curvature or hunched back. If left untreated, it may lead to significant health complications later in life.
“The disease slowly took away all of my activities and hobbies as my spine deteriorated,” Strott said.
Strott did not let the condition interfere with his occupation, however. He moved about the country, living in 14 different cities before he returned to the South Hills in 2011 and settled in McMurray.
Before coming home, Strott served as a director for a Top 10 mutual fund family, Dimensional Fund Advisors, and lived in Austin, Texas. It was during that tenure at Dimensional that his spine failed due to secondary complications from the disease. Strott underwent five spinal fusion surgeries during a three-year period to retain some of his mobility, he said.
After eight total procedures, Strott was forced into disability retirement at age 45.
Strott, though, hasn’t stopped working. Upon moving back to the area, he started the Scheuermann’s Disease Fund.
“I decided to start the charity to help those affected by the disease,” Strott said.
He noted the disorder is sometimes called Scheuermann’s kyphosis. It differs from scoliosis and pastoral kyphosis in that it causes actual physiological changes to a person’s body during adolescence.
“Once a person’s bones stop growing, these changes become permanent,” he said.
The charity is the only one in the world solely dedicated to helping those affected by Scheuermann’s Disease. The fund has helped people locally as well as in 50 different countries. Strott has spoken at conferences about the disease and helped establish four different Facebook groups that assist people who are affected.
A Peters Township resident for 12 years, he runs the charity out of his home in Venetia and organizes fundraisers.
The 10th annual Scheuermann’s Disease Fundraiser will be held rain or shine from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Alpine Club in Bridgeville.
Tickets are $20 per person with children under 12 admitted for free. In addition to a buffet dinner, there will be free spinal screenings, a Chinese auction featuring a number of gift baskets, a caricature artist, live music, two 50/50 raffles and a silent auction.
“We hope to create and improve public awareness and recognition of this rare spine disease. Improve early detection and work with the medical community to better understand the long-term secondary effects Sheuermann’s can cause,” Strott said.
Visit www.sdfund.org or contact Strott at dstrott@sdfund.org for more details, to RSVP to the event, donate prizes or become an event sponsor. There is also an events page at sdfund.org with more information.