Story 24 – Huan Huan

Huan Huan is from XinJiang.  She lives with her parents and younger brother. She was diagnosed with Osteogenesis imperfecta (an inherited bone disorder that causes soft, weak, and easily broken bones) with multiple limb deformities and scoliosis.  Despite numerous surgeries were conducted to help straightening her lower limbs, Huan Huan continued to experience pain in her right hip, and needed assistance when walking. Her severe scoliosis meant that she was experiencing back pain after walking just 500m, and her lung function was deteriorating. Therefore, surgical intervention was needed for her to live more comfortably.

 

After these surgeries, her family was in financial difficulties. With the help of the Cornerstone Association and SRDC, Huan Huan had the surgery in the Queen Mary Hospital (QMH) when she was 21 years old. Her first surgery in January 2018 was a foramen magnum decompression to increase the volume of the posterior cranial fossa at the base of her skull, which houses the cerebellum, medulla, and pons. A few weeks later in February 2018, she had the second surgery in QMH for her scoliosis. With these surgeries, Liu Huan was able to gradually have her spine straighten, and walk with ease for a longer distance.