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.
A Little owl looks down the lens of a camera and gives the photographer a cheeky wink .
CONTRACT CANCELLED - DO NOT SYNDICATE!! .
A scoliosis sufferer was heartbroken to learn surgery would stop her dancing - but she battled through the pain to complete her GCSE dance exams and earn A* .
DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .
An adorable orangutan named Pongo celebrates his first birthday at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, America .
With an abandoned tricycle sitting in an empty corridor, this derelict but once grand mansion could be the setting for The Shining .
A floating market in Indonesia is bursting with vibrant colours as wooden rowing boats loaded with fruit and vegetables crowd the river .
A woman has been left scarred for life after a botched eye lift burnt her eyelids .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
WITHOUT a care in the world, this little chimpanzee shows off her gymnastic skills as she swings around her enclosure .
Meet the dog-loving woman who spends £20k a year looking after her 30 pet PUGS .
This is the moment a nimble red fox and a lumbering Alaskan brown bear were locked in a tense stand-off .