Teenager bullied over her hunchback and limp becomes a catwalk model after surgery to straighten her spine



Zoe Blenkinsop, 19, had suffered from severe scoliosis since childhood

She was in so much pain she was unable to sit or stand up for long

Surgeons carried out a seven-hour procedure to use metal rods to straighten her spine - after the operation she had to learn to walk again

She is now working as a model and is able to stand tall without pain



A teenager who was bullied as a child after an agonising spine condition left her with a hunchback and severe limp has landed a job as a catwalk model.



Zoe Blenkinsop, 19, from North Shields, Tyne and Wear, has suffered with scoliosis since childhood and was bullied throughout school because she had a lump which protruded from her back where her spine curved.



She would spend hours practicing her poses and catwalk runs but struggled as her curved spine, which left her with a limp, shattered her confidence.



Zoe Blenkinsop, 19, suffered from severe scoliosis - curvature of the spine - since childhood and was in so much pain she was unable to sit or stand up for long

When she was diagnosed with the condition aged 11, doctors said they could perform an operation to correct the problem but she would have to wait until she had finished growing at 18.



And now, after undergoing the gruelling seven-hour operation, she is finally walking tall.



Zoe said: ‘I was always so conscious about my back because there was such a huge lump sticking out from it.

‘I never allowed anyone to take pictures of me because I didn’t want them to see it.



‘In PE I would hide in a corner to get changed so that no-one saw it as I was already being bullied.



‘When I was told I could have the operation I was so happy but I knew I had to wait a long time for it.’



Zoe says her back was sometimes so painful it caused her to pass out and that she had to change for PE with her back to a wall so no one saw it

The curvature in her spine was so severe she had a hunchback and a limp, about which she was bullied

Zoe (pictured before her surgery) said: 'I used to look at everyone else in school and think about when I would be normal like them'

In July 2011 Zoe was finally able to go ahead with the procedure and was in surgery for seven hours while surgeons fitted metal rods to straighten her spine.



It took her a year to recover from the major surgery and she had to teach herself how to walk, sit and stand all over again.



Zoe is now able to fulfil her dream of modelling and is no longer worried about what others think of her.



She said: ‘I used to look at everyone else in school and think about when I would be normal like them.



Zoe (pictured before her surgery) said: 'I was always so conscious about my back because there was such a huge lump sticking out from it'

When she was diagnosed with the condition aged 11, doctors said they could perform an operation to correct the problem but she would have to wait until she had finished growing at 18

Zoe had a seven-hour operation during which surgeons inserted metal rods into her spine to straighten it

‘The pain would be horrible some days and I wasn’t able to sit or stand for a long time.



‘The only way to ease it was to lie down which was pretty embarrassing, I felt like an old lady.



‘Recovering from the operation took a long time and it was really hard.



‘I wasn’t allowed crutches as I had to be able to support myself, some days I would pass out with the pain but I kept going.’



Zoe says that since her surgery she no longer worries about what other people think of her

Scoliosis causes the spine to curve and affects about four per cent of the population.



If left untreated, it can lead to fatal heart and lung problems and considerably damage mobility.



Zoe had her first taste of modelling success when she stepped on to the catwalk for Newcastle Fashion Week.



She said: ‘Modelling has always been a dream of mine but I never thought it was possible.



Zoe had her first taste of modelling success when she stepped on to the catwalk for Newcastle Fashion Week

Zoe (in hospital after her operation) said: 'The pain would be horrible some days and I wasn't able to sit or stand for long. The only way to ease it was to lie down which was pretty embarrassing, I felt like an old lady'

‘I knew that standing and posing for shoots would be impossible and I would have been far too scared to walk down the catwalk with my limp.



‘I was in constant pain and couldn’t imagine having the lifestyle I have now.’



Zoe now hopes to take her modelling career onto the next level building up her portfolio with fashion shoots and one day hopes to walk the catwalks of fashion weeks worldwide.



Deborah Waller, from Scoliosis Association UK, said: ‘Scoliosis is where the spine curves sideways and can also twist the spinal column, pulling the ribcage out of position.



Zoe said that before her operation (left) she couldn't imagine having the lifestyle she has now (right)



The surgery has left Zoe with a scar down her back but has dramatically improved the shape of her spine

‘A few of the signs of scoliosis are uneven shoulders, an asymmetrical waist, tilted hips, or uneven shoulder blades.



‘Although many people have not heard of the condition, it is surprisingly common, with three to four children per 1000 needing specialist supervision.



‘It can develop at different times throughout life but the most common form appears during adolescence.



‘While there are around 2,000 scoliosis operations in the UK every year, surgery is not the right choice for everybody and whatever treatment decisions are made, it is important to be monitored by a scoliosis specialist.’