Eli Yeung is among the contributors to a new documentary that explores early signs, bracing, sport, recovery and body image.
A Belfast-based model has bravely opened up on his scoliosis diagnosis and the impact the long-term condition has had on his life.
Eli Yeung is among the contributors to a new documentary that explores early signs, bracing, sport, recovery and body image.
Living With Scoliosis, a short documentary now on YouTube, brings together five personal stories to show what scoliosis can look and feel like at different stages of life.
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Eli, 38, speaks about confidence, representation and community, encouraging open, informed conversations across families, schools and with healthcare professionals.
Eli, who models while living with scoliosis, highlights how visibility and representation help others feel seen and supported. His message focuses on awareness, confidence, and community — practical self-care, listening to the body, and keeping conversations open between home, school and medical teams.
Originally from Singapore, Eli moved to Northern Ireland in 2018 and lives in Dundonald. He was diagnosed with scoliosis at 16 and underwent corrective surgery at the age of 20.
He told Belfast Live: “I try to live my life as normally as possible. For me, because I am a model, I’m always very conscious about my back. Part of my insecurity is that I feel that maybe my body is not as symmetrical and it’s something that I feel that I have to hide.
“I actually didn’t even realise that I’ve got scoliosis until I was in my teenage years. Growing up, I had spinal checks and things like that but I began noticing that I was standing a bit strange.
“A lot of cases with scoliosis are picked up during adolescent years like myself in teenage years. When you’re a teenager, you’re quite embarrassed about your own body and I felt that way so I didn’t want to tell my parents and I thought ‘oh, maybe I will just grow out of it’.
“I think it should be spoken about and people should be made aware of how severe scoliosis can be. I didn’t speak out and maybe my parents didn’t realise, but if people start talking about it, maybe parents might be more aware about it and pick up on small or subtle early symptoms like myself.”
Around a year and a half ago, Eli started sharing his story on social media which he has found helpful and a confidence builder.
He explained: “When I found out that I’ve got scoliosis, I felt very alone. That’s why I started speaking out. Social media is kind of like a therapy platform for me to train my confidence. I started talking a little bit about scoliosis and slowly as I built confidence, I felt more comfortable and able to be more authentic and genuine with my inner thoughts.
“The more I shared, the more confident I became; I didn’t have to hide anymore. Awareness and community make a real difference. I feel that I’m in a much better place than before.
“Today I can still be as fit as people without scoliosis but the pain comes back seasonally, at least like once a year. The pain will usually last for two weeks or so and I wouldn’t be able to walk properly or sit, stand or lie down for a long time. Even getting out of bed can be quite painful.”
The 20-minute documentary, Living With Scoliosis, was produced by Scoliosis Support & Research, a UK charity that provides guidance, emotional support and funding for vital research for those affected by scoliosis.
Alongside Eli, it also follows an Olympian, a storyteller, content creator and parent-child journey.
It touches on diagnosis, brace wear, surgery, recovery and body image — aiming to reduce isolation and offer compassionate, practical perspectives that help people keep doing what they love while seeking medical advice and, where needed, a second opinion.
“I hope it will teach people to have more compassion towards other people. Sometimes you might not see what other people are carrying underneath, especially those like myself. You can’t see scoliosis so we might struggle with different things that you might not see.”
Watch the film Living With Scoliosis here.
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