A young woman who tragically "partially decapitated" herself after hitting her head on a concrete pool base while on holiday has expressed that she feels "fortunate" to be alive. Becca Reed, then 25, was celebrating her 23rd birthday with a companion in Turkey on May 16, 2022. The chilling incident occurred while she attempted to catch a ball during a game of pool volleyball.

She experienced the following days in a foggy and numbed state, pacifying her agony with painkillers and presuming she merely harboured a severe case of whiplash. The true extent of her injuries came to light only when she sought medical expertise back home on May 19; scans revealed catastrophic damage to her C5 and C6 vertebrae. This grim revelation precipitated two critical surgeries alongside an arduous journey through mental and physical therapy.

Reflecting on her visit to the doctor, Becca recounted: "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,'", reports the Manchester Evening News. Her survival is attributed by doctors to the extraordinary strength of her back and shoulder muscles, which miraculously kept her spinal cord intact both during the initial trauma and in the days that followed.

Describing her condition post-accident, Becca stated: "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."

Implausibly, she continued: "My muscles were guarding the rest of my body because I essentially partially decapitated myself, so my muscles were holding my head on." Highlighting the importance of her prior fitness regimen, she said: "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."

'I just floated in the water for what felt like an eternity'. Becca has always been a fitness enthusiast, engaging in activities such as weightlifting, skipping and boxing. However, a mishap in Turkey altered her life "in an instant." "The dive just went so wrong," she recounted.

"My hands didn't even hit the bottom, my head was just the first thing to hit the bottom. Once the injury had happened, I just floated in the water for what felt like an eternity and I was just thinking, 'Can I move my feet?'" Becca soon discovered she could move and managed to get out of the pool. In the ensuing days, she stayed in bed, taking painkillers. "I hadn't jumped to, 'I've broken my neck or I've broken my spine', I just thought it was severe whiplash," she admitted.

After returning home, the pain intensified and on May 19 she contacted NHS 111 for guidance. She was advised to go to A&E, where she underwent an X-ray and various scans before being fitted with a neck brace.

"Doctors told me I had the worst injury in London on this day," she revealed. "They said that my C5 and C6 vertebrae were just completely smushed and I had basically just cracked them both in half." Becca was transferred to the Royal London Hospital where she underwent two surgeries: one to replace the shattered vertebrae with a metal structure, and another to stabilise her neck with rods and screws.

It was her unwavering commitment to fitness prior to her injury that doctors credited with saving her life.The intense pain she experienced following her second surgery was due to the incisions through her neck and back muscles, as she explained. "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."

Spinal Research reports that in the UK, every two hours, an individual becomes paralysed from a spinal cord injury, which could result from an accident, disease, or health condition.Rehabilitation proved challenging for Becca, who had to re-master basic movements such as rolling over in bed, standing up, walking, and even the simple task of applying moisturiser.

Recounting the recovery period, she admitted that it was "long and gruelling" and during this time she somewhat neglected her mental wellbeing.She realised the necessity to "show up for (herself)" and with the encouragement of her loved ones and support from Spinal Research, she focused on regaining her physical strength. "My body held on for dear life when I didn't know it needed to... so I really needed to spend some time getting my body back to where I trusted in it again," she acknowledged.

After half a year, Becca, who works in PR in London, started to once again lift weights exceeding 10kg. Come January 2024, aligned with her new year's resolutions, she aspired to "find passion in movement again." Choosing running as her path forward, she discovered "peace and serenity" and a revitalised sense of self-assurance in both herself and her body’s capabilities.

Almost three years on from her harrowing accident, she's set to tackle the TCS London Marathon, running in support of Spinal Research. She aims to shine a light on the scientific advancements and support networks that played a crucial role in her recovery. She expressed: "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.

"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."