Hope Through Health: The Chiropractic Calling
For some, chiropractic is a calling. A future certain to have a positive impact on countless individuals, and a path determined long before a decision on a future career needs to be made. For others it’s a question mark. A polarizing part of the health professions that many lack basic knowledge around. It’s the social media posts, the cracking sound in videos, and little to no understanding of what the profession actually does. For many, chiropractic chooses them. The profession and the art associated with it comes into their lives at the exact right time to plant a seed. A seed that will bloom into purpose over time. Whether that initial encounter is one of chance or dictated by other circumstances, chiropractic presents itself when needed. The story of Daniela Reyes is no different. While she has no chiropractic miracle story like many who have pursued this profession, her story is a miracle in its own right; it’s one of greater purpose, vision, talent, and humility. It’s the story of someone who is rooted in family and aspires to change the world one patient at a time.
What makes chiropractic unique is the connection and rapport created through communication with your patient’s body through touch.
When Daniela started her chiropractic journey, she entered Life Chiropractic College West as the youngest student to start the program to that point at just 20 years old. While Daniela jumped into this journey head on and was steadfast in the pursuit of her dream of being a doctor, chiropractic was not always her desired path. In fact, according to Daniela, “It was nowhere on my radar” a year prior to her starting chiropractic school.
At the age of 19, Daniela found herself at a life-altering crossroads. She was determined to become a doctor, just for animals. That path had long been written when at 5 years old she identified her dream career. At the heart of the 2020 lockdowns, Daniela found herself in community college taking classes to eventually transfer to UC Davis to start the process of becoming a veterinarian. That all changed during a fateful meeting with her academic advisor. Over ZOOM Daniela was told that she was well behind track, and would need to complete at least another year to be eligible to transfer to UC Davis. This change of plan made Daniela distraught and she was left to ask herself a difficult question, “Is this path something I actually want to do?” Surprisingly, to her the answer was no. The decision to become a vet was ultimately one that Daniela said “5-year-old me made because she loved her puppy,” and at 19, she was longing to interact with others and lean on her natural ability to connect. The question was how.
The answer to Daniela’s question came in a dream, or better yet a memory that she forgot she had. This dream was centered around an office, one that rushed Daniela’s senses as she remembered the smell of the office, the look, the skeleton in the corner, and a picture of Davinci’s Vitruvian man on the wall. When she woke up, she spoke to her family about the dream wondering what it meant and was pointed to the origins of that office. It was a chiropractic office that she and her family used to clean when Daniela was younger. A dormant memory that presented itself at the optimal time. That interaction planted the seed that would eventually bloom in a love for chiropractic. That same day, she looked up chiropractic schools with no idea of the requirements and no real understanding of the career path. She finished up her final semester at community college and started her path to becoming a Chiropractor shortly after. When asked why she chose chiropractic, she simply paused and said, “Fate.” The profession and its values align very closely with her own and it was easy for her to make that connection. The philosophy of chiropractic is incredibly important to her, and she views going to a philosophic school as paramount going on to say, “The philosophy is what sets chiropractic apart and when you realize that, it gives you direction and purpose.” Daniela believes “philosophy is the why of chiropractic,” and specifically mentioned that, “philosophy is why I fell in love with the chiropractic profession.”
While Daniela believed that she had found her path, her family was unconvinced. Daniela is a part of a very tight knit family, in fact, she recently released a song titled, “Don’t Need More” to honor her parents relationship; but they met this career change with questions. “They thought I was crazy.” Chiropractic was a very foreign idea to the Reyes family. They were a medical-based home and they had no idea that there was another world of wellness available to them. She was also presented with the false idea that her gender and stature would impact her success as a chiropractor. Daniela was aware of a perceived lack of women within chiropractic, thinking of the profession as male dominated. This motivated her, and the thought of becoming a female chiropractor excited her because of how rare it seemed to her at the time. On Thanksgiving day 2021, she received more motivation when her uncle openly questioned her choice to be a chiropractor stating, “Mija, you can’t become a chiropractor because you are a woman, and too little and not strong enough for that profession.” This motivated Daniela even more. Admittedly, at her core she likes to prove people wrong, and unbeknownst to her uncle, he gave her that chance.
As the first person in her family to pursue a doctorate degree, Daniela feels a lot of pride. Her parents and grandparents instilled within her values that will be crucial in this career path. “My grandparents and parents taught me about work ethic and what hard work can provide. It’s rewarding to give back to them, and it makes me incredibly proud to do this for my family and make them proud. Seeing the pride in my grandparents and parents’ eyes keeps me going and makes me proud.” She has used her time in chiropractic school to begin transforming those in her family to live healthier lives, highlighting her father who, “Is so used to pain, work, and stress that that is just part of life for him. Work, work, work, and that’s it. No one tells them to slow down to take deep breaths and make sure they are taking care of themselves.” Highlighting her community as a whole, Daniela states that to some it seems like “healthcare is for the privileged.” She wants to use chiropractic to prove to her community that, “their community is worth serving too, and their bodies are important. Healthcare is not just for the privileged; everyone should have access.”
While some may have initially questioned this path for her, Daniela has not let that deter her from her purpose. She is aware that to some she may not be the norm when they think of a chiropractor, but she feels that gives her a different type of power. Being outside of that norm gives her a way to connect with her patients from a different place, one that allows her the opportunity to educate people on what chiropractic is and what is possible with their bodies. She feels like she has the space and opportunity to change chiropractic for countless people and impact how her family and community think about health. And she’s well on that journey. Viewing chiropractic as a “partnership with her patients that isn’t present in a lot of other health professions.” Going on to say, “What makes chiropractic unique is the connection and rapport created through communication with your patient’s body through touch. There’s no hiding what’s wrong because as a DC your nervous system will tell me what I need to know.” Daniela relishes being able to help people regain hope and realize that their body is so much more than what they’ve been told.
The philosophy is what sets chiropractic apart and when you realize that, it gives you direction and purpose.
At a high level, that is Daniela’s “why.” She wants to be able to spread hope and help people take back the health they thought was lost, and is focused on serving the underserved. Her overall goal in chiropractic is to take care of her community, ensuring they are cared for at the highest level possible. “Within the Hispanic community, this type of care has been nonexistent to many in the community. From a lack of knowledge, language barriers, and lack of representation.” Daniela believes this change starts with spreading hope and wants to change what people think health actually is and reinstall the power they have within. Those that have had the opportunity to interact with Daniela can tell early on that she was destined to help people and that her ability to connect with others is special.
When Daniela finishes chiropractic school, she will graduate at 23. This is humbling to her but has also transformed into a teaching opportunity because as she points out, “a lot of people undermine younger people. But there is this wisdom beyond your years that comes with undertaking the responsibility of chiropractic.” While Daniela didn’t start this journey on the back of a miracle, her goal is to bring hope to those who have been made to feel as if they are hopeless, so maybe they can experience their own miracles. Daniela is ready to make a difference that is evident. That part of her story was written long before chiropractic was in view. It was formed through lessons learned over time, and she wants to work her heart out to give back to the people who have helped mold her into who she has become. In the words of Daniela’s grandparents, “Their ceiling or roof is her ground or floor to strive and build off of.” This is a chiropractic story authored by fate and determination, and anchored in family, community, and a sense of pride. This is the story of the future Dr. Daniela Reyes, D.C.
