▁Bro ke ▁Girls . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Ly ons ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C .. ▁She ▁is ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁sur geon ▁James ▁R . ▁Ly ons ▁and ▁dan cer ▁Pen ny ▁A . ▁( née ▁S ous a ). ▁She ▁is ▁of ▁Italian , ▁Irish ▁and ▁Portuguese ▁descent ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁Fair field ▁and ▁New ▁H aven , ▁Connecticut , ▁and ▁several ▁other ▁towns ▁in ▁the ▁state . ▁She ▁spent ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁her ▁youth ▁both ▁dan cing ▁and ▁r iding ▁horses , ▁giving ▁up ▁the ▁latter ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁former . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁child ▁she ▁suffered ▁from ▁sc ol ios is , ▁which ▁prevent ed ▁her ▁from ▁a ▁purs uing ▁a ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁bal let ▁dan cer . ▁Before ▁being ▁diagn osed , ▁she ▁studied ▁dance ▁at ▁the ▁J off rey ▁Bal let ▁School , ▁the ▁New ▁England ▁Bal let ▁School ▁in ▁Connecticut , ▁the ▁Boston ▁Bal let ▁and ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁France . ▁She ▁wore ▁a ▁back ▁bra ce ▁throughout ▁her ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁nin th ▁grade . ▁She ▁ultimately ▁had ▁surg ery ▁to ▁correct ▁her ▁sp ine . ▁ ▁While ▁she ▁was ▁fresh man ▁at ▁Y ale ▁University , ▁she ▁founded ▁the ▁Connecticut ▁S col ios is ▁Association ▁and ▁wrote ▁about ▁her ▁experiences ▁with ▁the ▁disease ▁in ▁the ▁book ▁titled ▁S col ios is : ▁As c ending ▁the ▁Cur ve . ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁published ▁before ▁she ▁began ▁classes ▁at ▁Y ale ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9