Shoshana Pavett, 18, was diagnosed with scoliosis – an S-shaped curvature of the spine – two years ago, as she was starting out on her singing career.
The former Buckingham Royal Latin School pupil, from Deanshanger, was told she would need corrective surgery, but the operation would have entailed cutting through her diaphragm, ending her operatic career.
But now a specialist clinic has provided an alternative which means she can still pursue her dream – and she will join the Royal College of Music and Drama later this month.
She had faced a tough dilemma until her mum, Julie, found the special clinic called Scoliosis SOS. Miss Pavett has been taken through a four-week programme of exercises which trains the surrounding muscles to support the spine properly and reduce asymmetry, and now spends around half an hour each day carrying out the exercises from home.
Miss Pavett said: "The exercises mean I can pursue a career in opera. They also align my figure a lot better and alleviate a lot of the pain I was getting."
Her love of opera started at school and she has performed at the Milton Keynes Music Festival and with the Buckingham Choral Society.