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.
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AERIALS OF FLOODING ON SOMERSET LEVELS
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SWALLOW WHOLE - YOUNG BIRD ENJOYS DINNER TIME
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COME DINE AT SEA: RESTAURANT ON A ROCK
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SURPRISE BABY: WOMAN REVEALS SHE DIDN’T KNOW SHE WAS PREGNANT UNTIL SHE SAW HER BABY’S HEAD CROWNING
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SMILEY GECKO POSES FOR THE CAMERA
WITH A wide smile plastered across his face, this little gecko is ready for his close up .
ABANDONED CARE HOME LIES FORGOTTEN
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
STOLEN £2K BULLDOG REUNITED WITH FAMILY VIA TWITTER
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SUPER CUTE BABY RED PANDAS
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RECORD BREAKING GRAN'S COLLECTION OF NEARLY 800 SHEEP
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MANDELA MEMORIAL
Thousands of people are gathering at a stadium in Johannesburg for a memorial service for Nelson Mandela .
POLAR BEAR PLAY
WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .