Girl dubbed 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' walks tall after operation on her spine adds six inches to her height



Cruel taunts: School girl Jessica Stalley was dubbed the 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' by bullies but is now standing tall after a back operation

A schoolgirl dubbed the ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ by bullies is walking tall after a back operation added six inches to her height.

Jessica Stalley, 14, had to endure cruel taunts such as ‘hunchback’ and ‘humpback’ after a medical condition saw her develop the spine of a 70-year-old.

But after a series of gruelling operations, she can now stand up to the bullies with perfect posture.

Miss Stalley was diagnosed with kyphosis, a disfiguring forward curve in her spine that made her look like she was always slumping, at the age of 12.

The teenager has since grown to five foot seven thanks to a pair of titanium rods, held together by 12 screws which run parallel from top to bottom of her spine.

She will have to wear a special corset until October, but doctors say she'll be able to return to her favourite activities such as swimming, soon after.

Miss Stalley says that the bullying reached its peak before she even realised there was a problem with her spine.

'They used to call me humpback and the Hunchback of Notre Dame,' she said.



'It was so upsetting because at the time I had no idea what was wrong with me.



'But I tried to ignore them and be strong and once I was diagnosed I had an answer that silenced their words.

'We went to Clementine Churchill Hospital to try and find out what was wrong and when they told me what it was it was a massive relief.



'They actually said I had a spine like a 70-year-old. They booked me in for the surgery and I actually felt quite excited because I knew it was going to change my life.'

Miss Stalley who lives with her housewife mother Joanne, 44, and finance worker father Chris, 42 and brother Nicholas, 11, has had her life changed by the operation.

She was diagnosed with the problem in July 2008 and was given an MRI scan in August, on her 13th birthday.

She was then fitted with a back brace by medics in September 2008, but after six months doctors were unhappy with the results and she was booked in for the two operations.

'They used to call me humpback': Jessica was diagnosed with kyphosis at the age of 12 and had the spine of a 70-year-old

During the first six-and-a-half hour operation in April this year, medics sliced under her left arm and removed a rib, which was used to help prop up her spine.



Three days later she was taken from the private hospital bed for more surgery, this time to put four metal rods inside her.



Two of the rods were screwed in to the top and bottom of her spine to correct the curving.

Medics even had to deflate one of her lungs during the seven-and-a-half hour procedure to avoid any risk of injuring her.



On May 2 she began the first steps of physiotherapy, walking with help for the first time with her new height and posture.

Straightened out: Jessica Stalley is now six inches taller after a series of gruelling operations to correct her slumping spine (right)

Miss Stalley, from Bedford, says she is now looking forward to removing the supporting corset for good.



She said: 'Since the operation I have had to relearn my new centre gravity so it meant walking round was a bit weird.



'Because I was upright it meant if it was windy outside it would feel much worse because I was used to being hunched over.



'It feels strange to walk tall, the doctor didn't think that he'd get me that straight.



'I'm still in a back brace now, but doctors have told me when it comes off in October I'll be fine and can even start swimming again - I can't wait.'



Her mother Joanne added: 'It has been 13 weeks since the operation and she has only just been able to get her socks on.

'The surgery was horrific, as parents we just thought "Oh my God, what have we done".



'But the results are fantastic and her school, Dame Alice Harpur School, has been really accommodating.'

