The four-year-old had a severely curved spine but the ground-breaking surgery means she is now closer to her dream of becoming a gymnast
Grinning Jaine Stanley is walking tall – after surgery to correct her severely curved spine added an incredible 4cm to her height.
Now the thrilled four-year-old is a step closer to her dream of becoming a gymnast after being freed from the restrictive back braces she has had to wear for two years.
Jaine’s spine is now supported by a system called MAGEC, using implanted rods with magnetic motors that can be lengthened by remote control in routine outpatient appointments every 12 weeks.
The youngster was 3ft 2ins when she went into surgery last October – and 3ft 4ins when she came out eight hours later.
Mum Berenice, 42, said: “The difference in Jaine is already amazing. We couldn’t believe it when she came out 4cm taller.
“We’ve taken her swimming since, and she was over the moon that she could finally touch the floor of the pool.
“Now she’s set her sights on becoming a gymnast and keeps talking about getting a leotard.”
Jaine of Newport, Isle of Wight, was diagnosed with severe scoliosis of the spine at the age of two.
Her spine continued to curve into a shocking 63 degree bend – the worst case her spinal surgeon had ever seen.
For 23 hours each day she had to wear tube-shaped plastic frames that encased her torso to support her spine.
They had to be fastened tightly leaving little room for movement and were uncomfortable on her tiny frame – so she could only sit and watch as her friends played.
Berenice said: “It was horrible to see her missing out on bouncy castles or soft play parties and struggling in the summer as she got hot and uncomfortable.”
But now everything has changed and Jaine is enjoying her new-found freedom to play like any other four-year-old.
She has her first post-surgery follow-up appointment this month and hopes to start gymnastics lessons soon.
Surgeon Christopher Dare said: “We will lengthen the spine for as long as we can, usually until a child is 11 or 12, and when it is unlikely to grow any more we will then do a final spinal fusion to fix it into a fixed position.”
