A mother from Milton Keynes nearly died after a yawn was so forceful that it shattered two bones in her neck. Hayley Black, 36, was getting out of bed at 5am to feed her newborn daughter when she stretched and yawned, causing an 'electric shock sensation' through her body and leaving her arm stuck in the air.
Her husband Ian called an ambulance, and she was rushed to hospital in excruciating pain. Despite initial scans showing nothing, doctors later discovered that the C6 and C7 vertebrae had shot forward into her spine due to the force of the yawn. She was given a 50/50 chance of walking again but emergency surgery saved her.
Ms Black, a former emergency call handler, now suffers permanent nerve damage and fibromyalgia, leaving her unable to work. She has re-learned to walk but remains traumatised by the incident, which occurred in May 2016. She shared her story on TikTok, where the video has garnered over 1,000 views.
