Man folded in half for 28 years finally stands straight up
- 5 years ago
SHENZHEN, CHINA — A Chinese man is looking at the world from a whole new perspective now that he's finally able to stand straight after suffering from an aggressive form of arthritis that left his face jammed up against his thighs for almost three decades.
According to Chinese media, 46-year-old Li Hua was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in 1991 when he was only 18.
The intense pain in his joints forced him to become more and more hunchbacked over time.
His family from the Hunan city of Yongzhou didn't have the money to get medical treatment so his entire upper body eventually folded onto his lower limbs in a permanent bending pose.
According to Li, his condition got a lot worse over the past five years to the point where he couldn't sit up straight or lie down flat, and was having trouble eating and drinking.
Surgeons from the Shenzhen University General Hospital broke and rebuilt Li's entire spine in a series of four operations this year.
During the four-phase surgery, Li was able to first sit up, then lift his head, then lie flat.
Li is now able to stand tall after 28 year long years. He is now able to get around with the help of a walker, and should regain normal mobility with a couple of months of physical therapy.
Guess things really are looking up for Li.
According to Chinese media, 46-year-old Li Hua was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in 1991 when he was only 18.
The intense pain in his joints forced him to become more and more hunchbacked over time.
His family from the Hunan city of Yongzhou didn't have the money to get medical treatment so his entire upper body eventually folded onto his lower limbs in a permanent bending pose.
According to Li, his condition got a lot worse over the past five years to the point where he couldn't sit up straight or lie down flat, and was having trouble eating and drinking.
Surgeons from the Shenzhen University General Hospital broke and rebuilt Li's entire spine in a series of four operations this year.
During the four-phase surgery, Li was able to first sit up, then lift his head, then lie flat.
Li is now able to stand tall after 28 year long years. He is now able to get around with the help of a walker, and should regain normal mobility with a couple of months of physical therapy.
Guess things really are looking up for Li.