Simon Cowell has hinted that he will pay for a life-changing operation for Britain's Got Talent contestant Julia Carlile following her performance on Thursday's live semi-final. The 15-year-old and her dance troupe MerseyGirls manage to sail through to the final, which could potentially be Julia's last chance to perform. "Whatever happens, we'll make sure you're in a great place, " Simon told the group. "I don't want to get too emotional, but, out of all the acts tonight, you and the Pensionalities are the ones who got me. You're both uplifting and doing something positive."
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Julia, who needs £78k for the pioneering operation in the US, has scoliosis - meaning her spine has curved to one side. The teenager will soon need an operation, otherwise it will leave her chance to dance again in jeopardy. In a recent interview with The Mirror, Julia opened up about how she discovered the life-changing surgery. She explained: "I knew we couldn't afford it. My family has saved £4,000 but it's £78,000, plus airfare. Since the audition, a consultant from America got in touch and offered to examine my X-rays for free."
BGT star Julia Carlile suffers from scoliosis
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She added: "I'm in a lot of pain every day. My ribs and hips touch, so some movements really hurt. Standing up for a long time is painful, and it's bad in the mornings. I try not to complain, but I have to wear my back brace in bed and my friends are always nagging me to wear it in the day too." If Julia and the rest of MerseyGirls win the ITV series, they could walk away with the grand prize of £250,000 and the chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance later this year.