Britain's Got Talent audiences were bowled over by young Julia Carlile when she appeared on the show with her dancing troupe, the Merseygirls.
However her story took a dark turn when it emerged that the schoolgirl's lungs were being crushed by her spine, as a result of a condition known as scoliosis. Viewers discovered the only operation available on the NHS would leave Julia unable to dance afterwards.
But three months after her final surgery, it has emerged that Julia is back in dance class with her pals, as you can see from this picture:
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Credit: Andy Stenning / The Mirror
Speaking for the first time since she returned to training, Julia, 15, told the Mirror: "Dancing again, surrounded by my friends, is the best feeling in the world.
"I was desperate to perform again, but when I got to class I was really nervous.
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"I didn't know how my body would cope and I was scared of hurting myself.
"But when I went in everyone walked up and hugged me. I was so pleased to be back. It was overwhelming."
Help came in the form of BGT mastermind Simon Cowell, who said he would pay £175,000 ($231,785) for two operations in the US, having been wowed by the Merseygirls' audition.
Credit: ITV / Britain's Got Talent
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Julia revealed Simon approached her afterwards and told her he would make sure there was every possibility that she could dance again. The teenager told the Liverpool Echo: "He didn't have to do it and he has changed my life. There are no words to thank him for how grateful we are. It's just unbelievable."
After the surgery, in an interview on ITV's This Morning, Julia has revealed it was a long journey to get to that red carpet event following the procedure.
Credit: ITV / This Morning
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She said: "It has been really hard, probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. I just decided I'm going to get better now, because I just want to dance."
Asked where she'd be without the operation, she frankly admitted: "I'd probably be a mess because knowing I'm not going to dance again, I'd be like 'What do I do now?'"
Welcome back, Julia.
Featured Image Credit: ITV / Britain's Got TalentTopics: TV and Film, Celebrity, Britain's Got Talent, Simon Cowell