For most of his young life, Jiang Yanchen’s spine was bent so severely that his body resembled a twisted “Z.” Stricken with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a rare chronic condition that inflames the spine and joints, the 21-year-old from Shandong province, China, spent years unable to stand upright.
At one point, Jiang’s neck and hips were just inches apart, forcing him into a permanent forward fold. Living in constant pain, even the simplest tasks—walking, eating, or breathing—were battles. Tests revealed that his lung capacity had plummeted to just 20 percent of that of a healthy person. At school, he often had no choice but to kneel or lie flat to cope with the discomfort.
With limited access to advanced medical care in his hometown, Jiang went untreated for years, allowing the disease to warp his body further. His extreme condition earned him the nickname “the folded boy,” a moniker that reflected both his suffering and his resilience.
Everything began to change in 2023. Over the past two years, Jiang has undergone four grueling surgeries to gradually repair his spine. These complex procedures required surgeons to break and rebuild sections of his upper and lower spine, as well as his hips and chest.
The final operation, performed in June, was the most daunting—a 12-hour procedure that surgeons described as “the world’s first successful 180-degree spinal orthopaedic surgery.” Led by orthopedic specialist Liang Yijian, the medical team managed to straighten Jiang’s spine by nearly 170 degrees. For the very first time, he was able to lie flat in a hospital bed.
Liang praised his patient’s resilience, saying Jiang “showed persistence much greater than that of an ordinary human being.” He explained that the surgeries not only restored Jiang’s posture but also brought his heart and lung functions back to normal.
After weeks of recovery and intensive physical therapy, Jiang stunned viewers during a livestream by standing upright and taking his first steps. Two months after the operation, he walked independently, an emotional milestone that symbolized his rebirth.
Speaking after his transformation, Jiang reflected on his journey: “All the pain is worth it when I see myself more like an ordinary person.” He added that he felt as though life had given him a second chance, describing the experience as being “reborn.”
With his health improving, Jiang is now preparing to return to university, determined to resume his studies and build the future he once feared might be out of reach.
His extraordinary story has gone viral, spreading beyond China and inspiring people around the world. When shared on Reddit, the comments poured in—thousands of users expressed admiration not only for Jiang’s bravery but also for the doctors who made the impossible possible.
“I can’t imagine the pain this guy went through before and after and especially the recovery. Mad props!” one commenter wrote. Another praised modern medicine, saying: “Modern medicine is magnificent despite a very loud minority trying their absolute best to undermine it.”
Others marveled at the medical achievement itself: “It’s mind blowing what we can do,” one person said, while another kept it simple: “Hell yeah medical science.”
