Woman yawns so hard she breaks her own neck in “freak accident”

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A woman, 36, is getting a lot of attention online after a powerful yawn unexpectedly caused a neck injury, requiring hospitalization.

Most of us have yawned so widely we worried about our jaws, but a woman in the UK actually hurt herself while yawning.

Hayley Black, a mother of two, shared a frightening story that originally happened almost ten years ago, in 2016. After posting about it in a TikTok video in 2025, the story is now gaining attention online and shocking people again.

Hayley was injured while caring for her newborn daughter, Amelia, early one morning. It was 5 AM, and Amelia was yawning as she waited to be fed. Because yawns are contagious, Hayley found herself yawning too.

Hayley said she felt like an electric shock ran through half of her body, making her jump.

She described feeling a strange tingling, like electric shocks, in her arm, which then spread down one side of her body. She immediately realized something was seriously wrong, comparing the sensation to a seizure.

Hayley was taken to the hospital by ambulance, a ride she said was incredibly painful. Paramedics used neck braces to keep her head and neck stable during the journey.

However, scans didn’t show anything wrong, leaving both Hayley and her doctors puzzled.

Man, last night was brutal. I was in so much pain I was literally screaming, and they had to give me gas and air. It got so bad I even tried banging my head, just desperate to knock myself out and escape the pain. It was awful.

I felt like no one was hearing what I was saying, and I knew something wasn’t right. The nurses were becoming impatient with me, explaining that the tests didn’t show anything and that I seemed fine.

Woman paralyzed after breaking neck from strong yawn

Hayley’s persistent pain led doctors to run additional tests, which ultimately revealed that a surgeon had discovered complete paralysis on her right side.

Hayley experienced a rare and unexpected injury where the C6 and C7 vertebrae in her neck moved forward while she was yawning, according to doctors. They described it as a freak accident.

She had surgery to fix a serious health problem. Doctors warned her mother that the operation was dangerous and she only had a 50% chance of surviving because her oxygen levels were dangerously low.

She survived the ordeal, thankfully, but continues to deal with chronic nerve pain and fibromyalgia.

She explained that going through this experience taught her to appreciate the little things in life. Because of her ongoing health issues, she now finds immense gratitude in good days, simple moments, being able to move, and spending time with her family.

Strange accidents often go viral on social media. Back in 2021, YouTuber WhistlinDiesel shared a shocking story about surviving a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head from a powerful .50 caliber bullet.

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2025-09-26 22:20