UK woman breaks neck while yawning and survives after life-saving surgery

MILTON KEYNES, UNITED KINGDOM — A British woman who broke her neck after yawning while caring for her baby has gone viral after recounting her extraordinary survival story nearly a decade later.

A Yawn That Turned Life-Threatening

Thirty-six-year-old Hayley Black shared on TikTok that the freak accident occurred in 2016, when she was looking after her newborn daughter, Amelia. As she stretched and yawned, she suddenly felt what she described as an “electric shock” shoot through her body.

Her arm became locked mid-air, and she was unable to move due to the severe pain. Her husband, Ian, quickly called for an ambulance.

Initial hospital scans revealed nothing unusual, but further imaging uncovered a shocking diagnosis — two of Hayley’s cervical vertebrae (C6 and C7) had slipped forward into her spinal cord due to the pressure of the yawn, according to Dexerto.

Doctors told her she had only a 50% chance of surviving emergency spinal surgery or ever walking again.

A Long Road to Recovery

Hayley underwent urgent surgery to stabilise her neck. The operation was successful, but her recovery was long and grueling.

She spent six months in a wheelchair and had to re-learn how to walk. As reported by Wales Online, she later developed fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, and continues to experience nerve pain in her arms, neck, and back.

“Ten years later, and I’m still scared to yawn and stretch,” she said in her viral TikTok video, which has been viewed thousands of times.

Online Support and Resilience

Despite her ongoing struggles, Hayley expressed gratitude for surviving and maintaining full mobility. Her story has inspired widespread admiration online, with many users praising her perseverance and positive outlook.

One commenter wrote, “You’re so strong — most people wouldn’t have come back from something like this.”