A child in England has had a life-altering and life-saving procedure that took the bones from her lower legs and inserted them into her spine.

Five-year-old Rosie Davies was described by both her parents as a timebomb. She was born with a rare disorder called spinal segmental dysgenesis. The condition meant that she was missing five bones from her spine, which added up to 10 centimeters or nearly four inches, and which left her unable to move her legs. Her legs were also contorted against her belly and she was unable to feel them.

The condition also had other, more life-threatening effects. The missing bones in her spine meant that her upper body was entirely unsupported. Little Rosie's inner organs were being crushed by the weight of her own body.

Rosie's organs were running out of space in her body. Eventually, if nothing was done, her organs would have been entirely crushed, and Rosie would have died.

At her last scan before the procedure, Rosie's kidneys showed evidence of being crushed.

In a 13-hour procedure, doctors amputated her legs below the knees. They used the bone to connect the gap in her spine. They also added metal rods, which were attached to her upper spine and hips, in order to provide extra support.

The procedure seems to already be paying off. Rosie's father Scott said that doctors have extended her life expectancy to be equal to that of other children.

The surgery also means that Rosie has become able to start feeling sensation in her legs again. That means that she may be able to walk one day with the help of prosthetic legs.

"All she has ever wanted to do is be like her sister. All she's wanted to do is ride her bike like her sister, run like her sister," her mother Mandy said to BBC. They also say that the surgery has given Rosie more confidence.

Rosie's case is the first time that the procedure has been performed in Europe. A similar procedure was performed in New Zealand 10 years ago.