APSU alumna overcomes adversity to share her story in new book
By: Khatir Stewart June 30, 2025
Austin Peay State University alumna Christina Reyes and her novel, Heartbeat. | Photos contributed by Christina Reyes
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — Austin Peay State University alumna Christina Reyes (‘17) spent the early part of her college journey confined to a hospital bed, battling a rare bacterial disease while finding herself. Now she is sharing her battle for survival, self-discovery, and faith in her first book, Heartbeat.
Reyes enrolled at Austin Peay intending to pursue a journalism degree, but before she could truly start her studies, she was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis - a life-threatening condition that hospitalized her for a year.
“That was my second year when it happened,” she said. “With the extent of the sickness, I actually had to take a semester off, and I was really disappointed because it’d set me back.”
Reyes said the support from her professors helped her through her recovery, while her personal journal allowed her to tell her story.
“When I was in the hospital, I kept a journal to write my journey,” she said. “I kept that journal through the years and pulled it out as I began writing this project because it was a vulnerable space.”
After that point in her life, Reyes’ views shifted, and she began drawing on her faith to accomplish her goals and dreams.
“I realized that life is too short not to accomplish these goals,” she said. “I knew that I wanted to publish a book, I knew I wanted to be a writer … [and] I have a short time here and want to make the greatest impact that I can.”
Reyes’ first published book, Heartbeat, focuses on this experience and the revelation she had during her hospitalization.
“It’s my story of when I was sick, dealing with not just physical sickness, but some things in my own heart that I knew I needed to deal with,” she said.
Reyes developed a deep appreciation for writing because of the support she received during her first year of college.
“When I started my degree program, I had a professor share with me that my paper had ranked so highly she wanted to keep it as an example,” Reyes said. “That’s what really sparked it, my passion to be able to put words together for people to read and be able to relate to. That’s the beauty of writing to me.”
Reyes said her time at Austin Peay deepened her relationship with writing, and her professors gave her space to grow.
“I had some incredible professors who pushed me in my writing style,” she said. “They really gave me the space to grow and be able to create my own style and voice … they brought out the potential I didn’t know I had.”
Reyes’s passion for writing came from her belief in the power of authentic storytelling.
“When you pick up a book and can feel the vulnerability and be able to relate to a story,” Reyes said. “That’s what brings content to life, when you feel like you are a part of the story or that you can relate to what somebody’s written.”
Despite the challenges she faced, Reyes said her hospitalization was a profound time that helped her see her life in a new way. Now, she is sharing that journey with the world through the voice she gained from her experience.
“[It’s about] learning to trust the process and the journey that you’re on,” Reyes said. “That God is constant and he is loving and he is along with you on the journey, and that you’re not walking it by yourself.”