China’s ’folded boy’ stands up straight after doctors fix 180 degree bent spine: ‘Feeling reborn’

Jiang Yanchen’s condition, which left his backbone without muscular support, had forced him to live in a Z-shaped posture for 21 years. (Image credit: @historyinmemes/Instagram)

A 21-year-old from China's Shandong province, who lived most of his life with his spine bent backwards at a 180-degree angle, has finally stood upright—marking the end of a medical journey hailed as the first of its kind in the world, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

On August 25, Jiang Yanchen took his first upright steps during a live-stream, two months after completing the last of four high-risk surgeries that realigned his cervical, lumbar, hip, and chest bones. The operations, carried out over two years, were led by the country's renowned orthopaedic surgeons Wang Yu and Liang Yijian, and have been declared the world’s first successful 180-degree spinal orthopaedic correction.

Jiang’s condition, which left his backbone without muscular support, had forced him to live in a Z-shaped posture. At school, he studied and took exams lying prone or kneeling. In 2022, he took China’s national college entrance exam—the gaokao—on a yoga mat and was admitted to a local university to study energy and power engineering. His mathematics score was the highest in his class.

China's so-called folded boy Jiang Yanchen, whose spine had been contorted backwards at a 180-degree angle for most of his life, has finally stood up straight. pic.twitter.com/0uK5opUv0o

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) September 1, 2025

His mother, Yu Meiying, quit her teaching job to care for him full-time and posted videos online that caught the attention of Wang Yu. Jiang began treatment last year under Liang, known for treating severe spinal deformities. The surgeries carried a high risk of paralysis or death, but Jiang recovered well and could lie flat immediately after the final procedure.

Between surgeries, Jiang underwent six hours of rehabilitation daily. The treatment also restored his heart and lung functions. “All the pain is worth it when I see myself more like an ordinary person,” SCMP quoted Jiang as saying. “I feel reborn.”

Liang praised Jiang’s perseverance, saying it exceeded that of an ordinary human being. Jiang now hopes to return to university in September and dreams of taking his postgraduate exams.