‘Folded boy’ starts surgery in hopes of standing straight for first time in 10 years

Jiang Yanchen suffers from a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine. - DOUYIN

BEIJING (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A 19-year-old teenager in China with an autoimmune disease that left him bending forward horizontally has begun a series of operations in Beijing in hopes of being able to stand up straight again.

Jiang Yanchen, who is a university student, suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, which is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the joints and ligaments of the spine. Over time, this can cause some of the bones to fuse, resulting in a hunched posture.