A woman who broke her entire skull in a horror accident says it pushed her to quit her job, sell everything and end her marriage to live free.
Kiki Fukai suffered shocking injuries to her forehead, jaw and cheekbones in a snowboarding accident.
The 37-year-old also nearly lost sight in both of her eyes – with the sockets crushed – and was warned she may never wake up after undergoing a complex 14-hour surgery – the first of many to come.
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Doctors inserted metal screws and plates in her skull.
The horror ordeal, which she is still recovering from, led Kiki to reassess – and then uproot – her entire life.
Prior to the surgeries, she had been participating in beauty pageants and starting a career as a fitness model – but then her appearance changed overnight.
“During a run on the slope, I lost balance and had a very serious fall,” Kiki, who worked at a local snowboarding school at the time of the accident but is now a digital nomad, told Need To Know.
“I landed with a strong impact and lost consciousness, so I do not remember the moment of the accident itself – but it completely changed the course of my life.
“The worst case scenario was that I might never wake up after surgery and the second worst scenario was to lose my eyesight, which was also horrifying.
“Hearing that diagnosis was extremely difficult.
“During recovery, even basic movement became difficult.
“My face was severely injured and my appearance was very different.
“The accident forced me to rethink my entire life.
“Only six months before the accident, I had been participating in beauty pageants and was beginning a career as a fitness model.
“I felt confident about my appearance at the time.
“Then overnight, everything changed.
“I became deeply aware of how precious health, time and freedom really are.”
Kiki remained in the hospital for two months, followed by many months of rehabilitation.
The accident led to the break-up of her marriage, too.
She said: “During that period, my husband and I decided to end our marriage through conscious uncoupling, but he and my mother were especially optimistic [about my recovery].
“Their belief helped me stay strong and believe in myself.”
Kiki later took to sharing her experience online, which soon led to a new career path – as she quit her job and gave up everything she owned.
“Instead of stopping my life, the experience pushed me to live more intentionally and authentically.
“I gave up my apartment, sold most of my belongings and reduced everything I owned to two suitcases.
“I [quit my job and now I] do not have a fixed base because I live as a full time digital nomad.
“I began travelling the world as a personal branding coach and speaker.
“Surprisingly, most of the responses online were extremely supportive.
“Many people connected deeply with the vulnerability of sharing my experience.
“Their support gave me strength during one of the most difficult times of my life.”
Kiki Fukai. (Jam Press/@vitamin_kiki)
Kiki, who is from Japan but travels across the globe with no permanent base, was first injured in 2023.
She still experiences pain every day but is determined to live life to the fullest by helping others and seeing everything the world has to offer.
Kiki added: “One of the biggest lessons from this experience was that pain can become a gift.
“In Japan there is an art called Kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold.
“Instead of hiding the cracks, they become part of the beauty.
“In a way, I embody that philosophy.
“I still have 12 titanium plates and 50 screws in my face.
“The accident was one of the hardest experiences of my life, but it also gave me a deeper purpose.
“Today I use my story to help people transform their struggles into strength and meaning.”
I help people redesign their lives so they can live and work with more freedom and authenticity.”
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