A Forfar teenager is standing tall after major surgery to correct a triple curvature of her spine.
Diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of eight, Courtney Bernard is now on the road to recovery and a hoped for return to competitive swimming after having two titanium rods and 17 screws inserted into her back to halt the progress of the condition.
The Forfar Academy pupil has delighted medical experts with her progress, and her dad, Pierre, hopes the positive signs will be an encouragement to other families.
Mr Bernard is a regional representative and trustee of the Scoliosis Association UK and last year joined his daughter as a Queen’s baton relay carrier in Forfar in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games.
He said: “Straight after the scoliosis diagnosis Courtney was asked to wear a spinal brace for 20 hours a day.
“When she turned 14 it was suggested by her surgeon … that Courtney stopped wearing her brace to see if her curves continued to progress.
“In January this year it was found that her spine had continued to curve, and as a family we made the decision to have surgery.
“Realistically, we had known for quite a long time that it was a decision we were going to have to make,” said Mr Bernard.
Just a week after the operation, 16-year-old Courtney was allowed home and she is now returning to school part-time.
Her next goal is to get back in the pool to resume her already successful competitive involvement in events for athletes with a disability.
“We are hugely grateful to Dr Thanos Tsrikos and his team in Edinburgh for the care Courtney received, and already she is a lot happier.
“Swimming is the first thing she can get back to, but it will be around seven months before she is in the pool.
“Hopefully the success of this operation will raise awareness of scoliosis and give encouragement to other families facing the same situation.”