TEENAGER Zoe Morris had more reason than most to celebrate her amazing GCSE exam results.

The 16-year-old from Acaster Malbis, near York, picked up seven A*s and four As from her school Tadcaster Grammar, yesterday.

This despite having missed two months of school to undergo surgery and have two titanium rods inserted into her spine to combat a dangerous curvature.

She was joined at the school by her proud parents Graham and Lin to collect her results.

Her head teacher Geoff Mitchell said: “Zoe’s tale is truly amazing. She is a very very determined and highly ambitious student who really does set her goals high and although she’s had adversity she overcame it and just went for it.” Zoe’s operation means the rods will stay in her back for the rest of her life to ensure it remains straight.

Lin said she first became aware something was wrong with Zoe’s back when she was on holiday on Anglesey with Zoe, then aged 13, her other daughter, Katie, and Graham.

They went to their GP, who quickly diagnosed scoliosis, and she was referred first to York Hospital and then Leeds General Infirmary, which specialises in procedures to combat the condition.

Scoliosis is a back condition causing the spine to curve to the left or right side. It has no known cause in a majority of cases. It is usually mild and needs no treatment, but for the more severe cases surgery is needed to straighten the spine. The vertebrae are fused and rods inserted to ensure the back remains straight.