After suffering several devastating accidents, Becky James could barely get out of bed every day. For six years, she was in pain all over her body and lost the ability to take care of herself. Then, at age 40, a ray of hope was literally delivered to her doorstep and set her on a path to full recovery.
It was another one of those endless nights with no hope in sight. In the darkness, I could only hear my own painful breathing. My body throbbed and my head ached and felt about to split open. I put my arms over my head and stared helplessly at my bedroom ceiling. I whispered desperately, “Please, please, give me some energy!”
It had been six years since the car accident that almost took my life. I had lost control of my vehicle on the highway in 2005. After hitting the van in front me, I struck a barrier on the side of the road.
Right after the accident, I felt lucky to find no obvious injuries on my body. But my luck was short-lived. I had trouble controlling my balance two weeks later, and it got worse every day.
I ended up having to give up my beloved teaching job. I was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis, a disorder of an unknown cause that is similar to chronic fatigue syndrome. The doctor informed me that people who suffer from this disease might experience organ failure and premature death. Worst of all, there is no cure.
From then on, like a prisoner, I spent nearly my entire existence confined to my home, barely able to get out of bed. I was so weak that I was unable to endure any sound or light. I couldn’t even talk with others for more than five minutes. The memory meltdown that came with it made things worse. I lost the ability to take care of myself.
I was fortunate to have been born into a traditional family in Leeds, England, and had loving relatives to care for me. During this most shattering period of my life, I completely relied on my husband, parents, and in-laws to look after me. Except for them, I largely lost contact with people in my life.
All of this began within about two weeks after that car accident in 2005, when I was 34 years old. But that was only the latest in a series of devastating incidents I had suffered in my life.
Earlier Injuries
When I was 17, I was severely hurt in a car crash. It led to the dislocation of my pelvis, along with serious spinal injury. As a result, I would sometimes lose feeling in my legs and be unable to walk. And I would feel unbearable pain when raising my left leg. I tried many different kinds of painkillers and treatments, but none helped. Neither could surgery provide any relief. I was told I might have to deal with my condition for the rest of my life.
Then, at age 25, I had a terrible accident while jet skiing. I ended up on the traction bed for a week. The problems from the previous car crash, especially my spinal injury, were triggered again.
Although blessed with a carefree childhood, rewarding jobs, and a happy marriage, these accidents were like overbearing shadows following me wherever I went, robbing me of a normal life and impossible to shake off.
‘You need to learn compassion’
Six years of this wretched existence left me exhausted and nearly devoid of hope that I would ever recover. In despair, I could only pray for some energy.
That night, I pleaded for help in the darkness, with my arms over my head. Then when I lowered my arms, all of a sudden a massively bright beam of light came down through my body from my head to my feet. I was a bit shocked, but for an unexplained reason, I knew I would be all right and that it was something good.
Soon after, I was having an argument with my husband in the car when I suddenly sensed a sentence floating into my mind. “You need to learn compassion,” it said. I immediately said to my husband, “Sorry. It’s my fault. I need to learn compassion.” My husband was surprised and said, “You never talk like that. What does that mean?” I replied, “I don’t know.”
A couple of days later, I was standing by the kitchen window in pain when I saw a woman pass by and leave something at the front door. I went out and picked up the pamphlet that she had left.
A picture of a woman doing meditation on it caught my attention. Then I saw the three words, “Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance.” The word “Compassion” instantly resonated with me. I thought, “Wow, that’s it. I have to learn compassion.” I called the contact number on the flyer right away, and my mother-in-law and I went to the free seminar offered two days later.
Finding What I Needed
It was a seminar to introduce Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, a traditional Chinese practice for improving the mind and body. It includes four sets of slow-moving standing exercises and a sitting meditation, along with teachings that emphasize improving one’s character to become more truthful, kind, and tolerant.
… After learning the exercises, the participants took turns to read “Zhuan Falun,” the main book of Falun Gong. It so happened that, on my turn to read, my paragraph was about the idea of predestined relationships. I had a strong feeling that is hard to explain. But one thing was clear—I had found what I needed.
At home, I spent two days reading the book and felt so happy because it finally answered my questions about life and the world around me. When I read the book the second time, I felt a door open, letting me understand more about my life.
I continued to read and was amazed by the profundity of the book. It made me determined to practice Falun Gong.
Incredible Rebound
Before long, I started to see significant improvements to my health. The asthma I had suffered from since childhood no longer occurred. Then my energy came back. Although my muscles were still not flexible, they felt stronger.
The most incredible change was in my spine… Miraculously, after some 20 years of suffering, my back and spine problems were healed!
Gradually, all of my health problems disappeared and my body fully recovered. Instead of needing my family members to take care of me, I was able to start looking after them, including my sick sister and elderly mother-in-law.
Practicing Falun Gong enabled me to regain a normal life free of the injuries and health problems that had plagued me for decades. Its principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance also helped me to become a better person, now able to enjoy a happy, peaceful life again with everyone around me.
