When Sarah Reynolds of Ladysmith went for a routine chiropractic adjustment in 2014, she didn't know her life was about to break open. Literally.
The registered massage therapist suffered what she now knows was a catastrophic spinal injury -- caused by an underlying genetic condition she didn't yet know she had: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), which weakens connective tissue.
The injury left her with severe instability in her neck and a cascade of worsening neurological symptoms. Her once-active life collapsed into a blur of pain, instability and cognitive dysfunction. But despite the alarming onset and worsening condition, doctor after doctor dismissed her concerns.
Reynolds would go on to see dozens of medical professionals -- from neurologists to neurosurgeons and pain specialists. It wasn't until she paid out of pocket for upright and dynamic imaging in the United States that her injuries were clearly diagnosed: craniocervical instability (CCI), atlantoaxial instability (AAI), and EDS.
"My joints don't fail when I'm lying flat in an MRI," she explained. "They fail in motion, and standard imaging can't capture that."
Eventually, Reynolds underwent two complex spinal fusion surgeries in the U.S., costing more than $200,000. She is now fused from C1 to C7, the seven vertebrae that make up the cervical spine in the neck. She still needs further stabilization but has been unable to access that care in Canada.
The ordeal cost her more than her health. Unable to work, she lost her massage therapy business. The strain ultimately contributed to the end of her marriage. She had to sell her house to pay for surgery.
Her mother, Rhonda Shirley, said the experience has eroded her trust in the system.
"If the doctors or the specialists don't know what to say or what to do, they just always bring it to 'maybe it's just in your head,'" she said. "I live with her. She lives with this daily. It's not just in your head."
Mostly bedridden, Reynolds began writing her story on her phone, typing it out while lying flat. The act of documenting her experience became a lifeline. Those notes evolved into her recently published book.
"I wrote my book to make the invisible visible," she said. "My memoir The Neck Breaks, The Silence Begins gives voice to what so many of us live through but are never heard."
The book blends personal storytelling with medical scans and practical resources. It marks a turning point, a refusal to be silenced after years of dismissal.
"What happened to me is not rare," she said. "There are hundreds of thousands worldwide living with conditions like CCI, AAI, and EDS who are facing the same medical dismissal.
"Had I seen a book like that, it would have been life-changing for me," she added. "I wrote The Neck Breaks, The Silence Begins because silence protects the system. By sharing my experience, I hope others won't feel alone, and the public can see how deeply the medical system is failing patients like me."
Reynolds has also found a calming outlet in soapmaking. Unable to tolerate most commercial products due to allergies and sensitivities, she started formulating her own.
"I started making products for myself because I'm always allergic to everything," she said. "My friends noticed and they said, 'Can we try some?'"
That led to the creation of Esoteric Soaps, her line of handmade, small-batch, allergy-friendly products. What began as a personal necessity has grown into a source of community and creative fulfilment.
"I just create in my good times and in my down time I rest."
Once a week, Reynolds sets up at a local market to sell her products in person. The physical toll is immense.
"I do a day of a market and then I'm done for the week," she said. "I go home and I'm laying down until next week sometime."
Reynolds now lives with her parents, who have become her primary caregivers.
"I'm so thankful for my parents," she said. "I live in their basement because I couldn't live on my own. I can't do a lot of things that I used to do."
Despite all she's been through, Reynolds maintains a striking positivity and a smile that lights up a market. She credits her strength not to willpower, but to something deeper.
"I think that it's mostly spirit," she said. "I'm not religious, but I'm very spiritual, so I find that the spirit has allowed me to do what I do."
Her mother agrees.
"She is an angel," said Shirley. "I honestly think she's on earth here to not just help herself, but to really shine a light for others."
The Neck Breaks, The Silence Begins is already finding readers across Canada. Copies are available at Reynolds's market booth and through her website: sarahsspinalinstabilityjourney.wordpress.com.
"This book is my offering. This truth is my victory. I see you. I'm proud of you. I love you," Reynolds writes in the acknowledgements.
It's not the ending to her story -- but it may be the beginning of someone else's.