A UK woman has shared a horrifying story of how she nearly died after 'partially decapitating' herself while on holiday in Turkey.
Doctors told 25-year-old Becca Reed that she was lucky to be alive after her near-fatal injury which happened nearly three years ago.
While a US woman is likely never to fully recover following an internal decapitation, Becca is now planning on running the London marathon this weekend to raise money for the Spinal Research charity.
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She travelled to Turkey with a friend for a holiday in 2022 and during an innocent game of pool volleyball, the PR professional hit her head on the concrete base of the pool while diving for the ball.
Upon her return to the UK, having spent a few days feeling dazed, she was told by a doctor that she had crushed the C5 and C6 vertebrae in her neck.
Two operations and years of mental and physical rehabilitation would follow, but the young woman is now ready to take on the 26.2 mile race in London this weekend.
She described the pain she felt following her injury, speaking to PA: “I was in pain, but there was no swelling, there was no bruising, my muscles were all just really tight – and it’s called guarding.
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“My muscles were guarding the rest of my body because I essentially partially decapitated myself, so my muscles were holding my head on.
“I had been going to the gym five or six times a week for nearly two years beforehand – and that is why I am alive.
“Doctors said if my injury had happened to a normal person, they wouldn’t walk, move, talk.
“When I did eventually see a doctor, the first thing she said after I told her what had happened was, ‘I’m surprised you’re not dead.'"
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Despite the potentially deadly accident, Becca had actually just spent a few days in bed with painkillers thinking she had suffered whiplash, but the reality could have been far worse if she didn't have strong back and shoulder muscles thanks to years of training in the gym.
She added: "The pain was actually the worst after the second surgery because they had to cut through all of my neck and back muscles.
“The surgeon said you’ve grown muscles where people don’t usually grow muscles because I used to lift weights, and that is one of the main reasons why everything else held on.”
After discovering a love of running in January 2024 following her long recovery process, which included learning to walk and move again, she is now encouraging others to follow an active lifestyle ahead of her first ever marathon this weekend.
She concluded: "If there’s one thing that comes out of any of this, it’s me advocating for people to get in the gym and be active.
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“I didn’t realise it would save my life, and you don’t want it to be too late, so start now.
“Just show up for yourself now so you can thank yourself later because you don’t know what’s around the corner.”
Time to resubscribe for that gym membership then.
Topics: London Marathon
James Moorhouse