A teenager was diagnosed with a painful condition after a friend spotted a lump on her back.
Kay Malpeli, 17, first started to suffer with back pain when she was 15, and was and was left with a 60-degree curve in her spine before undergoing surgery this summer.
Around 3 or 4 in every 1,000 children requires treatment for scoliosis.
She told the Liverpool Echo : “When I was 15, I started to get back pain. However, I just put it down to the aches and pains everyone gets.
“A couple of months later, my friend noticed a hump on my back so my mum took me to the GP where he explained I might have scoliosis and referred me for an X-ray at Alder Hey.
"At this appointment, I was diagnosed with scoliosis. The curve was around 27 degrees at this point.
“I found out the hump was caused by my ribs rotating as a result of my spine twisting.
"My consultant recommended brace treatment, so I was then fitted with a back brace.
"Unfortunately, the brace didn’t work, and my curve continued to progress until it reached 50 degrees, and this was when surgery was recommended.”
Kay went into surgery in August and said that the surgery has left her feeling “pain-free” after years of issues with her spine.
She said: “The surgery was a success thanks to my incredible surgeon and everyone involved in the operation. The aftercare was also amazing, all of the nurses were lovely, kind and caring and I was really well looked after.
“I feel so much better after surgery, I’m virtually pain-free already and I’m so much more confident with the way my back looks.”
“I can’t thank everyone at Alder Hey enough, and I’m so grateful, the care was incredible, and they couldn’t do enough for me.”
Kay and her mother, Susan Malpeli, 49, have urged young people to check for telltale signs of Scoliosis, which include a visibly curved spine and uneven shoulders, they said: “Please look out for symptoms of scoliosis, it’s more common than you would think!”
