Princess Eugenie was forced to ‘train her brain’ to think of her scoliosis scar as ‘cool’ following her back surgery
PRINCESS Eugenie has opened up about how learning to embrace her scoliosis scar.
After undergoing the surgery in her childhood, the now 34-year-old said she initially felt a “sense of shame” over it.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Eugenie opened up about her surgery, crediting her mum Sarah Ferguson with teaching her to be proud of her scar.
The princess went under the knife at the age of 12, after her mum noticed the curvature in her spine.
“My mum caught my scoliosis early and I was lucky enough to get the help I needed at 12 years old,” she previously revealed in an Instagram post.
“I thank her so much for that and also thank her for the confidence to be proud of my scar.
“She removed all the stigma around having scoliosis for me by confidently showing people what I’d been through and it took all the fear and anxiety out of being different at such a young age.
“I am forever grateful and wish everyone to be proud of their scars.”
Now a mum herself, Eugenie revealed that she “trained her brain” to think of her scar as a “cool thing”.
In 2002, underwent the eight-hour operation which saw her have rods inserted into her spine.
She spent three days in intensive care, a week on a spinal ward, and a further six days in a wheelchair before she was able to walk after the corrective surgery.
In the months that followed, the young royal needed help to turn in bed and had to wear a brace for extra support.
While Eugenie admits to feeling “sense of shame” over her inability to wash or dress herself at the time, she eventually learned to love the scar that runs down her back.
She recalled how her mum would praise her for her “superhuman” after the procedure.
“All of sudden it was a badge of honour – a cool thing I had. It trained my brain that it’s OK, scars are cool,” she told The Telegraph.
“It became a positive memory, a part of me, that I could do something with in the future. I could help heal other people.”
Eugenie has since became a patron of Horatio’s Garden, which helps nurture the wellbeing of people after spinal injury by creating beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres.
What is scoliosis?
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine, which can cause uneven shoulders.
Treatment is not always necessary for the condition but some people who develop scoliosis can be required to wear a back brace to stop the curve worsening as they get older.
In cases where surgery is required, patients may undergo a spinal fusion operation; a procedure that can last for several hours.
The princess often speaks about the stigma surrounding scoliosis, previously writing for the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Charity.
“In 2002, when I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with scoliosis (curvature of the spine), and told that I would need corrective surgery,” Eugenie said.
“This was, of course, a scary prospect for a 12-year-old; I can still vividly remember how nervous I felt in the days and weeks before the operation.”
She continued: “During my operation, which took eight hours, my surgeons inserted eight-inch titanium rods into each side of my spine and one-and-a-half inch screws at the top of my neck.
“After three days in intensive care, I spent a week on a ward and six days in a wheelchair, but I was walking again after that.”
The princess went on to show off her surgery scars in a stunning backless wedding dress in 2018.
She also invited the doctor who performed her surgery to the royal ceremony.
Two years after her nuptials, Eugenie posted a throwback photo in her low-back bridal gown in honour of International Scoliosis Awareness Day.
“Let’s be proud of our scars! I’d love to repost any of your images on my stories so please tag me and I will share,” Eugenie wrote.
“To all of you who have just received the diagnosis, to those wearing braces, to those recovering from an operation and for those who have lived with a scar for years – My thoughts are with you on Scoliosis Awareness Day.
“Thank you to the doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and researchers at Scoliosis Support & Research.”