In a livestream on 25/8, Jiang Yanchen took his first steps with a straight back, marking a triumph of medical science and human resilience. He left the hospital the next day to prepare for the new school year.

Born in 2004 in Shandong province, Jiang suffered from ankylosing spondylitis, a rare congenital musculoskeletal disorder that prevented his body from developing normally. From elementary school, his spine began to curve backward, folding his upper body, sometimes to an almost 180-degree angle. This deformity severely compressed his chest and abdomen, putting pressure on his internal organs. When he tried to straighten up, he was 1.2 meters tall, but normally he was only about 80 cm.

Jiang Yanchen stands upright, practicing walking with a walker on 25/8. Photo: Xinhua

Jiang Yanchen stands upright, practicing walking with a walker on 25/8. Photo: Xinhua

Doctors predicted Jiang would not live past 13, but he defied the odds. He graduated from high school and achieved a remarkable feat in 2022 by being accepted to Dezhou University in Shandong, eastern China. He completed the entrance exam lying on a yoga mat.

However, Jiang's condition worsened in college, with increasing bouts of shortness of breath. In 5/2023, doctors in Beijing diagnosed his case as the world's first backward spinal deformity caused by a gene mutation, with no effective treatment protocol.

Hope emerged in 2024 when his family consulted Dr. Liang Yijian, a leading expert in complex spinal surgery at Chengdu BOE Hospital. Dr. Liang outlined a multi-stage surgical plan, spanning from 12/2024 to 6/2025.

Each surgery was extremely risky, potentially leading to paralysis or even death. But ultimately, everything went well, and Jiang was able to lie flat on his bed immediately after the final operation. The medical team called it "the world's first successful 180-degree spinal correction surgery."

Throughout the year between surgeries, Jiang underwent an average of six hours of rehabilitation daily. Two months after the last surgery, he took his first steps before thousands of livestream viewers.

Dr. Liang said the treatment not only allowed Jiang to stand upright but also restored his heart and lung function to normal. He praised Jiang's efforts throughout the treatment process, saying they "demonstrated perseverance far greater than the average person."

"All the pain was worth it when I saw myself looking more like a normal person," Jiang said, adding that he "felt reborn."

According to Dr. Liang, Jiang is recovering well and is expected to return to school this September. Jiang said he has plans for the graduate school entrance exam and hopes to continue his studies in Chengdu.

"Chengdu is the place that gave me a new life," he said.

Jiang's story has deeply inspired the online community. "I'm really happy for Jiang. I can't imagine how much pain he endured, but a bright future awaits him," one social media user commented. "It's a miracle surgery that helped a once-bent young man stand tall," another wrote.