Norman Sylvester, Scottish Daily Mail
Updated June 30, 2024 at 18:30 and June 30, 2024 at 19:35
She is the daughter of Scottish aristocrats and a glamorous international model.
But ever since a skiing accident when she was 12, Jean Campbell has been in constant pain for the past 15 years.
Now, on the “I’m Fine” podcast, she’s opening up for the first time about living with the disease and how meditation and gentle exercise have helped her cope.
The model’s parents are Colin Campbell, 7th Earl of Cawdor, and Lady Isabella Campbell, former editor of British Vogue.
The 27-year-old told The Sunday Telegraph: “I was 12, pretty small for my age, but a guy crashed into me from the side and I was thrown 10 metres into the air.”
“I fell and my right arm was thrown back, tearing the muscles, tendons and tissue in my shoulder.
“This accident was the catalyst for the chronic pain I’ve experienced ever since.”
At age 16, he broke his pelvis in three places and had surgery to have it realigned with three six-inch screws.
After the surgery, she was in a wheelchair for one month, on crutches for three months, and it took her more than 18 months to walk normally.
The constant pain also affected her mental health.
But despite sometimes turning up on crutches to set, she hasn’t let it get in the way of her career and is now one of Britain’s leading models appearing in campaigns for Burberry, Ralph Lauren and Louis Vuitton.
Campbell now wants to help others who suffer from chronic pain, adding: “I now know I had complex chronic pain, which not only caused structural issues in the body but also complex mental health issues.”
“Throughout my teens and early twenties, I didn’t know this was what I was going through and I felt guilty.
“I didn’t know how to deal with my pain or how to talk about it. It was a very lonely place.”
“I knew I couldn’t stay on painkillers for the rest of my life so I started looking for alternatives. I never thought low-intensity exercise and meditation would help, but now they’re how I cope with my ongoing pain.”
“Two things that are essential to me are meditation and movement. Meditation connects me to something outside of myself and at the same time reconnects me with my body.”
“I’m telling my story because it’s important to hear about the reality of pain. Pain happens in everyone’s life.”
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