A 19-year-old man who has been waiting three years for an operation to treat his severe scoliosis has passed his first hurdle, with doctors satisfied that preparatory surgery for the potentially life-changing operation has gone well.

The following three to four weeks will be the most painful for Aaron Camilleri, whose condition had become so bad that he sometimes has trouble breathing and has to sleep sitting down.

He was operated on last Wednesday at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, in preparation for “the big surgery” that will take between six to eight hours.

He will have to spend the coming three weeks in bed, after bolts were attached to his body to stretch his spine in readiness for the operation proper, his mother Doreen explained.

“His father has just called to let me know he’s doing well... although he has already started to complain about the pain.

I have no words to describe how much I miss him. I still hear him asking for a cup of tea in the morning

“However, typical of Aaron, the first thing he asked his father following the operation was why he didn’t bring him anything to eat,” his mother said, laughing.

Aaron and his father Pierre left for London on Sunday, leaving behind nine siblings and his mother.

“I have no words to describe how much I miss him, especially because for the past couple of years, before his youngest sister was born, four months ago, it was just me and him at home.

“I still hear him asking for a cup of tea in the morning, and every time I am dishing out dinner, I have to remind myself he is not here.

“It’s going to be a tough eight weeks, and the days are rolling by very slowly,” Ms Camilleri said.

Born with spina bifida, Aaron was told three years ago he needed an operation.

However, tests and the surgery itself kept being postponed.

When in October of 2013 he was finally sent to England for the long-awaited operation, the family was informed it could not be carried out because of the boy’s high blood pressure. A year later, his mother went public on Facebook as she felt they were going around in circles.

After the young man’s story was picked up by the media, the government asked Mater Dei Hospital to look into the case. Aaron eventually underwent several health tests and was given a date last Christmas.

“Thank God, all went well. We got a bit worried when he felt sick on Monday, but it all boiled down to anxiety. The doctors are satisfied with the preparatory surgery.

“Now he is in for the biggest torture. He will suffer the most during these four weeks, because during the surgery he will be sleeping,” she said.

It will then take Aaron a whole year to recover and his parents will not be able to lift him up for months.

“But we were told the best thing about it is that after the operation he will be taller and unrecognisable,” she added, laughing.