Julia Carlile dreamed of becoming a professional dancer. But, because of severe scoliosis, it was unlikely that she would be able to make that dream a reality. In fact, her spine was curved so badly that it was crushing her lungs, yet, she continued to dance.
She appeared with the Mersey Girls Dance Team on “Britain’s Got Talent.” She shared her story — she hoped to win the money to afford cutting-edge surgery in the United States. The only surgery available to her in the UK would leave her unable to dance. The team got the golden buzzer for their performance, but Julia received something better.
As the girls were leaving the stage, they had a visitor, Simon Cowell. “Simon came and spoke to us backstage,” Julia said. “Just walking off stage and he said he was paying for it [the surgery] and I couldn’t believe it.”
She explained, “I always wanted the surgery but could never afford it. I owe Simon so much because if he hadn’t paid for me, my curve would have continued to increase, leaving me unable to dance and in a lot of pain. Having an operation was my only choice.”
Simon generously provided Julia with the $240,000 she would need to have the life-changing surgery.
“The surgeons said they didn’t understand how I’d been dancing with that curve,” she said. “But thanks to the operation, my flexibility should be similar to people without scoliosis.”
Julia plans to make the best of her new lease on life. “Before, I’d always wear a big baggy jumper to cover my back. Now I love how my back looks – there will be no stopping me in 2018.”
Watch the story of Simon’s kindness in the video below. Please like and share if you think he deserves recognition for his generosity!
