‘Folded Boy’ Who Was Bent At 180 Degrees For Most Of His Life Stuns With ‘Magical’ Transformation

Jiang Yanchen, a 21-year-old man from China’s Shandong province long known online as the country’s “folded boy,” has finally stood upright for the first time in his life.

Jiang’s spine had been so severely bent backward that his torso folded in a near-180-degree angle, leaving his head and neck drooping near his lower back and forcing his body into the shape of the letter “Z.”

The breakthrough came after a grueling, multi-year medical journey that pushed the limits of human endurance and modern orthopedic science.

“All the pain is worth it when I see myself more like an ordinary person,” Jiang said after taking his first upright steps during a livestream broadcast on August 25.

China’s “folded boy,” whose spine was bent backward 180 degrees, was finally able to stand upright after four operations

Boy known as folded boy bending his body backwards at an extreme angle indoors against a plain background

Image credits: South China Morning Post

Jiang was born with a condition so rare and extreme that for years, no doctor in his hometown could offer a treatment plan. 

Without muscular support for his spine, his vertebrae deformed over time, folding his body backwards until he was no longer able to sit, stand, or even sleep.

His condition also stunted his growth, standing at just 120 centimeters tall when fully straightened, and only 80 centimeters in his “folded” posture.

Young boy with rare condition bent at 180 degrees lying on hospital bed receiving medical care

Image credits: South China Morning Post

Jiang soon became a symbol of resilience in the country as, despite his crippling condition, he remained focused on his education. 

He was able to complete China’s notoriously difficult college entrance exam in 2022 while lying prone on a yoga mat, and was admitted to a local university to study Energy and Power Engineering.

He scored highest in mathematics among his class.

Boy bent at 180 degrees receiving medical care, lying on chair with breathing assistance from healthcare worker.

Image credits: South China Morning Post

His academic performance is not only a matter of personal pride, but also survival, as his mother, Yu Meiying, had to quit her job as a teacher to become her full-time caregiver.

Wanting his child to live a more fulfilling life, she began posting about Jiang online in hopes of finding help.

Young folded boy with head brace being supported by medical staff and a woman as he attempts to stand upright.

Image credits: South China Morning Post

Her posts eventually reached Wang Yu, one of China’s most respected orthopedic surgeons, who diagnosed Jiang’s condition as a complete collapse of the spine due to absent muscular support.

However, Jiang’s case was so complex, it was considered “medically uncharted territory” by Yu’s team.

According to his doctors, Jiang risked his life with each procedure, as they had to break and rebuild his spine piece-by-piece

Caregiver feeding folded boy bent at 180 degrees who is finally able to stand up straight after long-term treatment.

Image credits: South China Morning Post

In 2023, Jiang’s journey toward recovery resumed when Dr. Wang Yu referred him to Dr. Liang Yijian, an orthopedic surgeon with a reputation for tackling some of the most extreme spinal deformities in the world.

What lay ahead was nothing short of a medical gauntlet.

Close-up of a medical device adjusting the spine of a folded boy to help straighten his posture gradually.

Image credits: South China Morning Post

To have any chance at a normal life, Jiang had to agree to not one, but four separate surgeries.

Each one would require his doctors to break and reconstruct critical sections of his spine, his cervical, lumbar, chest, and hip bones, essentially dismantling and rebuilding the core of his body.

It was a choice no one should ever have to make: risk paralysis or passing away four times over, or remain trapped in a body bent in half.

Jiang chose to fight.

Patient known as folded boy receiving medical care from nurses and caretaker, showing progress toward standing up straight.

Image credits: South China Morning Post

Over the next two years, he endured every operation, every wave of pain, and the constant shadow of what could go wrong. Each procedure pushed the limits of surgical science and human endurance.

Boy with medical head frame receiving treatment after being bent at 180 degrees finally stands up straight.

Image credits: South China Morning Post

In June 2025, following the fourth and final surgery, something miraculous happened.

For the first time in his life, Jiang Yanchen was able to lie flat on his back.

His doctors declared the operation a historic breakthrough: the world’s first successful 180-degree spinal orthopedic correction.

Jiang’s dream is to take his postgraduate exams standing tall, after completing most of his studies kneeling

Young folded boy bent at 180 degrees in a wheelchair receiving help inside a medical facility hallway.

Image credits: South China Morning Post

“His persistence is far greater than that of an ordinary human being,” said Dr. Liang. “He endured pain few people could tolerate.”

Young folded boy supported by medical staff as he attempts to stand up straight after long-term bending condition.

Image credits: South China Morning Post

The surgeries were just the beginning. Jiang committed to an intense rehabilitation regimen, averaging six hours of physical therapy each day between surgeries. Step by step, his body relearned how to support itself.

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

Medical staff posing with a boy bent at 180 degrees who is now standing up straight after long-term treatment.

Image credits: South China Morning Post

By August, he was ready to show the world what he had accomplished, and by the 25th, he stood upright for the first time, live on camera, bringing millions of viewers to tears.

“This is magical,” a local viewer said. “He used to be folded like that… and now he walks.“

“I cannot imagine how much pain he used to be in,” another added.

In an interview, Jiang said his dream now is to take his postgraduate exams standing tall, as he had to complete his university entrance exam kneeling down. 

He’s expected to return to university this September.

“Amazing.” Netizens were impressed by both Jiang’s willpower and the procedure

Comment on a forum post expressing hope for a folded boy’s future with a happy and pain-free life ahead.

Comment on a social media post about a folded boy who was bent at 180 degrees, now standing up straight, highlighting back pain awareness.

Text post by user Niasliyn expressing amazement at medical colleagues' daily work and love for medicine.

Person who was bent at 180 degrees for most of life standing up straight in a bright room with a white wall.

Comment text on a white background expressing sympathy for a folded boy who was bent at 180 degrees.

Comment saying hope for recovery after being bent at 180 degrees, referencing folded boy’s condition and life struggles.

Comment text expressing amazement and congratulations for a folded boy who was bent at 180 degrees and has finally stood up straight.

Reddit user redditnumber1 commenting with excitement about a story involving a folded boy standing up straight.

Folded boy who was bent at 180 degrees finally standing up straight with a bright smile in a supportive environment.

Comment about mental strength and exam preparation, reflecting on challenges faced by the folded boy bent at 180 degrees.

Comment from user tkrego expressing curiosity about how long it will take the folded boy’s brain to adjust to standing up straight.

Comment from user spankedcheeks discussing pain and discomfort after living bent at 180 degrees due to scoliosis and spinal rod replacement.

Comment text on a white background discussing the pain and difficulty in adjusting to upright posture of a folded boy.

Comment on Reddit expressing empathy for the folded boy's pain and recovery, praising his resilience and effort.

Comment text displayed on a plain background about the difficulties of daily life for the folded boy bent at 180 degrees.

Comment stating the boy's head was permanently thrown back, unable to look down due to being bent at 180 degrees.

Boy with a rare condition bent at 180 degrees finally stands up straight after years of being folded.

Comment about muscle pain and physical therapy after spinal fusion, relating to standing up straight from bent posture.

Comment on a forum expressing empathy and hope for recovery of a folded boy who was bent at 180 degrees for most of his life.

Comment text on a white background expressing hope that the folded boy's quality of life improves significantly.

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