Life’s chapters often have stories that echo each other. Beginnings that return as beautiful continuations and meant-to-be moments. For Dr. Nicole Whitehead, founder and owner of Advanced Spinal Fitness in Mooresville, welcoming Dr. Kayla Suddeth Walden to her practice earlier this year was like seeing a spark from long ago ignite into its own steady flame.
“A young Kayla first came into my office when she was just 10 years old,” Dr. Nicole recalls. “She was an active dancer and athlete, and chiropractic care helped her recover and stay strong through all those growing years. I never could’ve imagined she’d one day join me as a colleague.”
Dr. Kayla reflects on the serendipity of it all: “My family attended the Family First Friday events every month,” she says. “Those events were part of my childhood. The energy in that office was always so warm and connected, it left a big impression on me.”
Years later, while earning her biology degree at East Carolina University, Dr. Kayla found herself back at the front desk of the same office that had influenced so much of her youth: “I remember thinking how much I admired Dr. Nicole and the way she cared for her patients. One summer, she invited me to a chiropractic continuing education seminar, and that weekend completely changed my life. I came home knowing I wanted to be a chiropractor.”
Following her graduation from ECU, Dr. Kayla attended Palmer College of Chiropractic in Florida. When it came time to complete her final-quarter externship, there was only one place she wanted to be: “It felt natural to ask Dr. Nicole if I could do my preceptorship with her. It was like coming home, but this time I was on the other side of the table.”
From January through March of 2025, Dr. Kayla completed her internship under Dr. Nicole’s mentorship before officially joining the practice in April.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to have Dr. Kayla on our team,” Dr. Nicole smiles. “She’s grown up with this practice; and her compassion, intelligence, and energy make her a perfect fit. Over the years, I’ve mentored several young people toward the chiropractic field, but Dr. Kayla is the first who came full circle, back home to the community where it all began—working in my office as well as a practice in Charlotte. Watching Dr. Kayla step into her role as a doctor in the same office where she once came for care is a beautiful return … proof that what we give to others often finds its way back to us in the most unexpected and rewarding ways.”
