A folder boy with a 180-degree bent waist, finally stood upright...a feeling of rebirth
Aug 28, 2025
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According to Hong Kong media South China Morning Post, Jiang Yan-chun took his first straight step in a live broadcast on the 25th.
He has undergone four ultra-difficulty operations in the past two years to rearrange the lumbar, cervical, hip, and thoracic bones after amputation.
Raised in a small village in Shandong Province, China, his neck gradually bent backward and his body folded into the alphabet 'Z' shape. Even if I tried to stand straight, I was only 120cm tall, and if I stood naturally, I was only about 80cm tall. He was always optimistic and did not give up his studies, although he had to take classes or exams in a kneeling or prone position during his school days because he did not receive adequate medical support.
In 2022, while lying on a yoga mat, he passed a college in his hometown with a major in energy and power engineering. In particular, the math score was the best in the class.
In response, his mother, Yu Mei-ying, quit her job as a teacher and devoted herself to taking care of her son. After she posted her son's image online, Professor Wang, one of China's top orthopedic specialists, examined Zhang Yanchen himself and diagnosed that her spine had lost muscle support.
From 2024, Zhang Yancheon began receiving treatment from Professor Liang Yi-jian, who is famous for treating spinal deformities, and completed his last surgery in June this year.
It was an extremely dangerous operation with a risk of paralysis or death, but it ended successfully, so he was able to lie straight in bed.
The medical team announced this as the world's first successful case of 180-degree spinal correction surgery.
Between operations, he continued rehabilitation training for an average of six hours a day. Two months after the last surgery, he finally showed the world that he succeeded in walking upright live. Professor Liang said the treatment normalized cardiopulmonary function and showed greater persistence than the average person" he evaluated.
Zhang Yanchen "I've been in pain all my life, but now I'm so glad I look like a normal person. "I feel like I'm born again" "I took the college entrance exam on my knees, but I want to stand and take the graduate examination" revealed the dream.
He is gradually recovering his health and is scheduled to return to college in September.
Online "I commend him for enduring unimaginable pain.", "It's like a miracle to straighten up your folded body.", Congratulatory messages followed, such as "'I hope you will live a new life in a upright manner.'"
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
