Faith Harrison was 22 when she began showing some alarming symptoms
Faith Harrison is celebrating the one-year anniversary of her heart attack with a heart-shaped cake. The attack occurred when she was just 22, and initially, she mistook her symptoms for a pulled muscle after playing hockey on January 6, 2024.
Her condition quickly deteriorated; she began vomiting, experienced pins and needles in her left arm, and suffered chest pains. Despite calling 999 and mentioning her previous blood clots, she was told it was likely a panic attack and that emergency care wasn’t necessary.
Her family insisted on taking her to A&E, where she was first thought to have a stomach bug. An ECG revealed she was actually having a “widowmaker” heart attack, caused by a blockage in the main artery to the heart. Following emergency surgery, Faith was informed her heart was operating at a mere 27 percent capacity, and she might require a heart transplant.
Against all odds, Faith, now 23 and a fitness coach from Little Minsterley, Shropshire, has managed to improve her heart function to 47 percent through a combination of mindset shifts, lifestyle adjustments, and dietary changes. She’s now commemorating the incident’s anniversary with her family and a specially made heart-shaped cake.
Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Faith recounted: “It felt like I was being run over from head to toe.”
She also recalled telling the 999 operator about her central chest pain and the sensation of pins and needles in her left arm, only to be dismissed with, “They said ‘you’re having a panic attack’. It was the worst day. My heart was working at 27 per cent back in January 2024.”
“I wanted to manage it through medicine and lifestyle changes. No one was expecting to see any change. I had the scan and everyone looked at me wide-eyed. My heart is now functioning at 47 per cent – that’s a normal functioning heart.”
Faith realised something was wrong as soon as she got home from the hockey match. She said: “Your body just shuts down. I was getting hot and cold.” After the initial 999 call, Faith was told to ring back if her symptoms persisted – and was then told to make her way to A&E “in the hour”.
She was taken for blood tests but said doctors initially thought she had a stomach bug. Faith underwent an ECG which revealed she was having a heart attack. She said: “The nurse just ran off. I got put in resus. I didn’t know what was going on.
“Doctors told my parents ‘your daughters having a heart attack and she could die’. They questioned me around drugs. They said it looked like I’d been on coke.” Faith was taken for emergency surgery to remove the clot that was compressing the artery and felt “completely back to normal”.
She spent seven days in hospital where she was then told she had a hole in her heart and was in heart failure. Faith said: “They said half your heart is dead. I didn’t know what to expect from what had happened.” After being discharged, Faith struggled with PTSD and anxiety and didn’t hear from the doctors for a few months.
In June 2024, she discovered she was suffering from May-Thurner Syndrome. This is a rarely diagnosed condition where an artery compresses a vein in the pelvis, hindering proper blood flow. By September 2024, she was informed that she would require a heart transplant if her medication failed to improve her heart functionality – which had risen to 36 per cent from 27 per cent.
She was scheduled to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted in December, but she managed to increase her functionality back to 47 per cent – considered normal. Over the past few months, Faith has made significant changes to her diet, lifestyle and mindset.
Before her heart attack, she was weight training and consuming a lot of protein, but now she engages in more gentle exercise, maintains a balanced diet and has trained as a Pilates instructor. She stated: “It’s the most confident I have ever been.”
“It’s a completely new chapter. It’s a bit like a rebirth.” Faith hopes her story will inspire changes in women’s health care. She expressed: “I want there to be change in the misdiagnosis and mismanagement of cardiac arrests.”
“I wish they’d stop doing campaigns around an 80 year old man. I want more blood clot awareness. They should be highlighting symptoms and make more accessible information for women.”
Faith also advocates for increased mental and emotional health support for survivors. She added: “I’d like to see psychological support made accessible and integrated with cardiac care.”
Faith has made the unorthodox decision to mark the anniversary of her heart attack by celebrating with a large heart-shaped cake. She explained: “I’m not shying away from it.”
“Survivors shouldn’t ignore their anniversary. I’m celebrating being given another year.”