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.
HUNDREDS of colour coordinated yarns lie abandoned in this once thriving textile mill .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
CAUSING a splash, this determined kingfisher goes hunting for dinner .
A couple celebrated tying the knot with a spectacular Alice in Wonderland-themed wedding reception .
These photographs of extreme weather capture storms furiously rolling across the sky above America .
This is the amazing moment two white-tailed kites take an in-flight meal - exchanging prey at 100 foot high in mid air .
AT first glance these images could easily be mistaken for photographs, but they are in-fact real life drawings created using nothing but coloured pencils .
SURROUNDED by a snowstorm, these young polar bears battle the elements - as well as each other .
PERCHED on a branch, these two frogs hold hands as they look into the camera .
A BAMBI was dramatically caught in mid-air by a greedy Nile crocodile in a once-in-a-million flying pincer move .
Sitting all alone on drift ice in the Arctic Ocean, this lonely little fella looks lost .
A lazy otter finds the ideal spot to soak up the sun and sleep off his lunch .