Jiang Yanchen, once referred to as the "folded boy"—lived almost his whole life huddled in a 180-degree Z-shape due to a form of ankylosing spondylitis that bent his spine backward. He stood just one meter tall while standing and only 80 cm huddled up. He could not stand, eat, or breathe normally.
Over the past two years, four incredible operations were conducted on him, in which surgeons cracked and re-aligned bones in his neck, mid-back, hips, and chest. When he underwent his final operation in June, his spine had been realigned by almost 170 degrees; two months later, he took his first upright steps in a livestream broadcast. His heart and lung function also normalized.
Jiang Yanchen, 21. Photo: cnhubei
Xrays show in stark fashion just how badly deformed the 21-year-old’s spine was. Photo: Handout
Following his final round of surgery, Jiang was able to lie flat on his hospital bed. Photo: Handout
Jiang's story is greater than medical miracle, it's raw determination. He took his high school entrance exams on a yoga mat, then got accepted into university. Now, after being able to walk again, he's going to continue attending school and even has dreams of walking to see pandas someday.