IRISH WOMAN FIRST ADULT IN WORLD TO GET BIONIC SPINE
AN Irish woman has become the first adult in the world to receive a revolutionary REMOTE CONTROLLED 'ROBO SPINE', which uses magnets to combat the effects of scoliosis. Deirdre McDonnell, 34, from Drogheda, County Louth, can now stand tall for the first time after undergoing the pioneering MAGEC rod operation. The operation, also known as the magnetic expansion control system, involves the insertion of a magnetic rod that is screwed onto the spine and controlled externally in order to correct the curvature caused by scoliosis. Up until now, the £15K procedure has only been performed on children, as it was thought only to be effective for early onset scoliosis - typically diagnosed before the age of ten.
Other great stories
UNIQUE CAVE RESTAURANT
DINING under the stars, this restaurant takes you back in time - inside an ancient cave .
ABANDONED CALIFORNIAN GOLD RUSH TOWN
A once bustling gold rush town in Mono County, California now stands completed deserted .
LOVE BIRDS
THESE LOVE BIRDS can’t keep their beaks off each other as they share a very public display of affection .
ADORABLE EXOTIC KITTENS AT NASHVILLE ZOO
A BUMPER season of births has left zoo with three of the cutest exotic kittens you're likely to see .
HUNGRY HERON STRUGGLES TO HOLD ONTO ITS CATCH
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
EASTER ISLAND REPLICA STATUES DESTROYED IN SEA FALL
A project to create an underwater tribute to the stone Moai statues of Easter Island ended in disaster when 15 replica structures were destroyed after toppling from a boat and into the sea .
HEARTBREAK DIET LOST ME 11.5ST AND BAGGED ME A FELLA
When Janet Curry, 38, was told she was ‘too big to date’ by a man she met on the dating website Plenty of Fish, she didn’t let it stop her from looking for love .
WOMAN LOSES 9ST AFTER JUNK FOOD ADDICTION LEFT HER £1.5K IN DEBT
An obese woman has lost 9st after an addiction to junk food left her £1 .
LIP FILLERS NEARLY KILLED ME
A woman left disfigured and traumatised by an addiction to lip filler injections has issued a warning to others searching for the perfect pout after the plastic chemicals nearly killed her .
MONSTROUS WAVES DWARF DARE-DEVIL SURFERS
Gigantic 100ft waves create the perfect playground for dare-devil surfers from across the world .
BOARDER” COLLIES AND SURF MAD MUTTS HIT THE WAVES
Dogs catch waves at the Coronado Bay dog surf championships Saturday 22nd June 2013- DOG SURFING mutts have never looked so gnarly .
HUNGRY HIPPO MISSES OUT ON LUNCH
A hungry hippo is seconds away from catching a bird in its gigantic jaws .