Young Les Misérables actor in appeal over spine condition

A YOUNG Jewish actor who has starred as the lead in hit West End shows such as Les Misérables is crowdfunding for “urgent” surgery to treat two curves in his spine and allow him to continue performing.

Ilan Galkoff, who has been acting professionally since he was eight, said: “I get a lot of back pain due to my scoliosis and this is really limiting my ability to carry on acting.”

The 16-year-old has appeared on stage in shows including Matilda and Oliver, and in Amazon Prime’s Good Omens.

The operation he needs will help straighten his spine and alleviate the pain but it is not available on the NHS.

His mother Suzanne Galkoff explained: “We need to get Ilan to Turkey to the Scoliosis Centre of Excellence at the Acibadem University Maslak Hospital

for this procedure. Ilan met the surgeon at the weekend and he wants to operate on Ilan next week.”

The surgery is called “vertebral body tethering” (VBT), which is “different to the standard NHS fusion procedure,” said Ilan.

“Instead of placing a metal rod in my back limiting my movement, VBT uses a flexible cord down the spine which will allow me to continue to move freely in the future. It’s keyhole surgery which means that it’s less invasive and the recovery is a lot quicker. Having this procedure will allow me to continue with my life like I did before scoliosis took over.”

Ilan, who had his barmitzvah at Borehamwood and Elstree synagogue, needs to raise £45,000 in order to have the treatment at the specialist hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. To help, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ilangalkoff