By Crystal Dunford

Just when I thought I had life figured out, I learned how quickly everything can change.

For 17 years, I had a career with the federal government, focusing on benefits, retirement, and planning for the future. My husband and I worked hard and built a good life. Outside of work, I was active and fulfilled — hiking with my kids and our dog, riding horses with friends, boating, swimming, and truly enjoying life.

One day, my son, daughter, a friend, and I went horseback riding. It was a perfect day — trails through the woods, riding down to the river, jumping ditches, laughing and having the best time. Then, without warning, my horse turned and I lost my balance. I went over his shoulder and underneath him. In an incredible act of instinct, he jumped over my body to avoid stepping on me. He is truly an amazing horse.

My son ran to me immediately. My daughter brought my horse back. There’s an unspoken rule with riding — you always get back on. I told my son, “I have to get back on,” but I physically could not stand. I had lost control of my bodily functions and couldn’t regain it.

My son carried me back to the vehicle while my daughter put the horses away. I refused to go to the hospital until I could shower at home. My husband carried me into the house, and everyone knew that instead of a shower, I needed the ER. In October of 2020, doctors discovered I had fractured four bones in my pelvis, including my coccyx (tailbone). It took four months before I could walk again.

I tried to return to work, but my position required lifting and carrying 70 pounds. I could barely walk to the end of my driveway. The life I had worked so hard to build was suddenly gone. My boss told me to file for disability, and my heart sank. I couldn’t imagine that for myself. I wasn’t disabled — I couldn’t be.

Over time, my body healed in some ways, but the chronic pain and inflammation never left. Any overexertion resulted in pain. Even something as simple as mopping the floor meant sitting down for 20 minutes afterward, waiting for the pain to subside. Doctors prescribed medication, but that became the solution — pills, not healing.

In 2023, I applied for a job at Carolina Tan & Wellness. Not because I fully understood what I was stepping into, but because I saw something special in Emily and the light she brought to the community. During my interview, I explained my physical limitations, unsure if I could even meet the demands of the position. I truly believe God placed that opportunity in front of me that day for a reason.

Today, I want to share what a gift the SmartSun Therapy SST28 has been in my life.

At first, I was skeptical. I didn’t really understand what “medical-grade red light and near-infrared” meant, and honestly, I didn’t believe it could make a difference. But then I started using the SmartSun. I don’t know that I can explain the science behind it, but I can say I believe.

After three months, I went shopping with my daughters and didn’t have to stop to rest. After four months, I began walking again for exercise. After six months, I added light swimming, longer walks, and gentle hiking.

Now, after a little over a year of consistent use, I have been able to come off three medications that were prescribed after my accident. I can do activities I haven’t been able to do since before the fall. Scars from surgeries and stretch marks from pregnancies have visibly diminished. When I feel run down or have a headache, I lay in the SmartSun and come out feeling better.

Someone once asked me how often I use it. When I said two to three times a week, they replied, “So it’s kind of like a chiropractor,” I understood what they meant, and I answered with a question of my own: How often do you change the oil in your car or have it serviced?

Our bodies don’t maintain themselves — we have to take care of them.

That conversation ended there, but my point was made.

The SmartSun has given me back pieces of my life I thought were gone forever. It hasn’t just helped my body — it has restored my hope, confidence, and belief that healing is possible.