Elaine Foo’s legs are streaked with thick, purple scars - each one a reminder of a leg-lengthening procedure which went badly wrong. Since 2016, the 49-year-old has had five surgeries and three bone grafts, exhausted her life savings and brought a legal action against her surgeon, which was finally settled in July, with no admission of liability. At one point, Elaine had a metal nail break through a bone and on another occasion, she says her legs felt like they were being “roasted from the inside”.
“My journey has been a trial of fire - but I survived,” she says. Her doctor consistently denied any negligence and says that some of the issues arose from complications she had been warned of, and others arose through her own actions. Elaine always hated her height.
"At 12, I was taller than most girls," she says. "By 14, I was suddenly shorter than everyone. Over time it became an obsession.
Taller means better. Taller means more beautiful. I just felt that taller people had more chances.
" By adulthood the obsession was overwhelming. Elaine believes she had body dysmorphia, a mental health condition where a person sees a flaw in their appearance no matter how others see them. The impact of the condition can be devastating.
At the age of 25, Elaine came across an article about a Chinese clinic where people were having surgery to make their leg bones longer. The piece contained grisly details of medieval-looking leg cages and rampant infection. It sounded nightmarish but .