Ziya Mehrin could not feel the simple pleasure of “going to bed” in its true sense until recently. The 14-year-old from Balussery in Kozhikode had to rely on pillows to support her back and sleep in a seated position due to a 130-degree forward bend in her spinal cord caused by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic condition.
But that’s all in the past now. On May 25, she underwent an eight-hour-long scoliosis surgery at the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram. During the procedure, her vertebrae were straightened, bringing a transformative change to her life.
“I used to get admitted to hospital every two weeks for breathing troubles. Because of that I could not lay on a bed and sleep. After the surgery, I can sleep on the bed. I am not dependent on medicines too,” she told The Hindu.
