For more than two decades, a man’s world was quite literally turned in on itself.

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What started as a diagnosis at just 19 years old gradually became a life-defining condition — one that left him unable to stand, walk properly, or even lift his head.

Now, after 25 years of living “bent in half,” the Chinese farmer is finally standing upright again following a series of extraordinary, high-risk surgeries.

Li Hua was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a rare and severe form of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine, the Daily Mail reports. Over time, the condition forced his body to fold forward more and more, eventually leaving him in an extreme, almost unimaginable position.

By the age of 35, his condition had progressed so far that he became known as China’s only “three-on” patient — with his chin pressed against his chest, his sternum against his pubis, and his face against his femur.

At one point, there was just a 0.7-inch gap between his face and his thighs.

The physical toll was devastating. He was unable to walk properly, eat normally, or take care of himself — relying almost entirely on his elderly mother for support.

“I had been taking him from one hospital to the next since he was 18. I can’t really complain because, after all, he is my son,” his mother, Tang Dongchen, told The South China Morning Post. “It is not his fault that he got sick.”

For years, treatment remained out of reach due to the family’s financial situation, leaving Li Hua’s future uncertain.

But in 2019, everything changed when a team at Shenzhen University General Hospital, led by Professor Tao Huiren, took on the case — fully aware of the immense risks involved.

“He could go into hemorrhagic shock, become a paraplegic, or even die,” the family were told before the procedures began.

What followed was a medical effort described as being like “climbing Mount Everest.”

Over the course of six months, surgeons carried out four complex operations between June and December, carefully breaking and straightening different sections of Li Hua’s spine and hips in stages.

The goal was to gradually “open up” his body. It was a painstaking and dangerous process.

Medics removed damaged bone, corrected severe spinal curvature across his neck, chest and waist, and eventually performed a full hip replacement to allow him to relearn how to walk.

Each stage brought incremental progress — and moments that hadn’t been possible for decades.

After the third procedure, Li Hua was able to lie flat and properly look at his mother for the first time in 26 years. From there, recovery began.

Following six months of rehabilitation, he slowly regained movement — first with assistance, then with a walking frame, and eventually on his own.

And today, the transformation is nothing short of remarkable.

Now 52, Li Hua can now stand upright, walk again, and has even returned home to his village where he runs a small shop. He also continues his recovery with daily exercises, using special equipment for 30 minutes twice a day.

But beyond the physical changes, it’s the simple things that mean the most. For the first time in decades, he can sleep on his back.

And he hasn’t forgotten the people who made it possible – most importantly, the woman who stood by him every step of the way.

“My mother is a king and an extraordinary woman. Before the surgery, I couldn’t take care of myself,” he said. He also voiced his gratitude for Professor Tao and the medical team’s expertise, describing them as his saviours

After years of uncertainty, dependence, and physical pain, Li Hua’s story is now one of resilience.

Featured image credit: Shenzhen University General Hospital/YouTube/TheSouthChinaMorningPost (screenshot)