As a certified athletic trainer, Belleville's Joe Porcello knows that a youngster’s confidence and performance is directly linked to his or her self image.

This is especially true, Porcello found, with young athletes suffering from pectus deformities, the physical disfigurement that results in a noticeably deep indentation in the chest.

In September of 1996, Porcello met with a young athlete suffering a back injury. “When the boy removed his shirt for evaluation, I saw a pectus deformity for the first time,’’ Porcello recall. “It was a wake-up call.”

It was a turning point for the 33-year-old Porcello, who has since become the most sought-out authority on pectus deformities in the country.

He invented the T-Joe Pectus Bracing System, (www.pectusservices.com/),   which improves the shape and appearance of the rib cage with daily use and a strict exercise regimen prescribed by Porcello. The brace is registered by the Food and Drug Administration.

Since 1996, Porcello has braced over 415 children and teens from around the world, including Peru, Denmark and Venezuela. He begins the initial building stages of his brace in his basement workshop.

“I want to get the word out to doctors and parents to recognize a pectus defect early when the child is young,” Porcello says. “The best results occur at a young age. With bracing and exercise, boys and girls need to know there is a cure for pectus deformities.”

The brace may even eliminate the need for surgery in some cases. For Trainer Joe’s young athletes, the contraption may mean the difference between sitting on the sidelines, and playing to win.
 
This article was written by NJ My Way contributor Mike Morreale