10-6-2023 (BEIJING) Nineteen-year-old Chinese student Jiang Yancheng courageously undergoes a life-altering surgery in the hopes of standing tall for the first time in a decade, touching the hearts of people nationwide.
Jiang Yancheng has been suffering from ankylosing spondylitis, a type of inflammatory arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and spine. The condition has caused his neck to bend backwards, leaving a gap between his head and spine, and resulting in a height difference of one meter.
He has carried the burden and pain of this condition for a long time, starting from his primary school years when he had to attend classes while kneeling. Nevertheless, physical limitations did not hinder his pursuit of a dream to attend university. Last year, he was admitted to the Energy and Power Engineering program at the Chongqing University of Technology in the city of Chongqing, located in eastern China’s Sichuan Province.
Now, a new challenge has arrived. Last month, he embarked on a journey from Chengdu to Beijing, hoping that this trip would be a life-changing one. He seeks complex medical treatment that will take approximately three months to complete, with the desired outcome of being able to stand upright once again.
Before leaving home, his mother told him, “When you come back, you won’t need a wheelchair anymore. You can walk back on your own.”
Currently, the initial stage of the medical procedure, which aims to restore his neck to its normal position, has been successfully completed. However, he still has to undergo at least four more surgeries. Everyone following his progress hopes that he will be able to return to school by September.
According to data released by the Chinese Rehabilitation Research Center, approximately 5 million people in China are affected by ankylosing spondylitis, with an estimated incidence rate of 3 in 1,000. The majority of patients start experiencing symptoms between the ages of 20 and 30.
