Love Island’s Gabby opens up about battle with Scoliosis

She has an 18-inch scar because of it :O

Gabrielle Allen Love Island

by Georgia Aspinall |
Published on

As if we couldn't love Gabby any more, she's gone and posted a super inspirational Insta about her struggle with Scoliosis :'(

The much adored Love Island contestant is currently coupled up with Marcel who are apaz favourites to win the show! They've bonded over their mutual love for long deep chats about life showing themselves to be the true spiritual gurus of love that they are.

Gabby and Marcel

And now Gabby is taking her aura of positivity and beautifulness to the next level with this fab Insta post where she opens up about a life altering condition that left her with an 18 INCH SCAR and a tonne of body shame.

She said: "When I was 12, I had major surgery to correct the ever growing scoliosis going on with my spine. The top of my spine was curving so much it had caused the bottom to do so too, resulting in a big 'S' shape. Therefore, my shoulders, hips and ribs were all being pushed out of line.. I would've ended up like Quasimodo!"

YIKES, we can't imagine having to stress about this at 12, our biggest worry was how to stop our Maybelline dream matte mousse from drying up...

Gabrielle Allen

Opening up about her terrifying surgery to correct the Scoliosis, she continued: "They had to take out my ribs, deflate my lungs, insert two long stainless steel rods either side of my vertebrae and various nuts and bolts to keep them in place. I'm basically a robot!"

A robot who can MOOOOOVE like Jagger (and twerk like Nicki Minaj).

The most amazing part of her story? She went on to dance in a ballet competition within months! She said: "You have 5 vertebrae at the bottom of your spine and my surgeon decided to leave me with two unfused so I still had some range of flexibility to dance...I had to learn how to walk. But being a dancer, I was determined. I went back to dancing within 6 weeks. And I won a ballet championship 6 months after!"

WHAT AN ACTUAL INSPIRATION.

Gabby and Marcel

Left with an 18 inch scar down her spine, she told her followers how much it impacted her opinion on her body: "I grew up being embarrassed of it. I'd walk side ways on down the beach so people wouldn't see, I'd wear clothes or my hair down my back to cover it. But now I have no shame! People are intrigued and find it fascinating that I do what I do with such an impairment. And I'm proud of myself that I've managed to come so far and do so much."

Good on you gabs, you absolute angel.

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