A woman is celebrating the anniversary of her heart attack at the age of 22 with a heart-shaped cake — after her symptoms were dismissed as a panic attack and a stomach bug.
Faith Harrison, now 23, started to feel unwell after playing a hockey match on January 6, 2024, and initially thought she had pulled a muscle.
When she got home she started vomiting, felt pins and needles in her left arm and had chest pains but after calling 999 she was told she was likely having a panic attack and didn’t require emergency care.
Faith mentioned she had previously had two blood clots — but says she was still dismissed.
When her symptoms persisted her family took her to A&E where they were initially told she had a stomach bug.
Doctors ran an ECG “just to make sure” and discovered Faith was having a “widowmaker” heart attack — when the biggest artery to the organ is blocked.
After an emergency surgery Faith was told her heart was functioning at just 27 percent and was later told she might need a heart transplant.
But a determined Faith has got her heart function back to 47 percent — after changing her mindset, lifestyle and diet.
She is celebrating her one year anniversary of the incident with her family and a heart cake.
Faith, a fitness coach, from Little Minsterley, Shropshire, said: “It felt like I was being run over from head to toe.
“I said on the 999 call about central chest pain and my left arm had pins and needles.
“They said ‘you’re having a panic attack’.
“It was the worst day.
“My heart was working at 27 percent 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 percent — that’s a normal functioning heart.”
Faith realized 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 daughter’s 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.
She only found out in June 2024 that she had May-Thurner Syndrome — a rarely diagnosed condition where an artery compresses a vein in the pelvis and prevents blood from flowing properly.
Faith was also told in September 2024 she would need a heart transplant if her medication didn’t work to improve her heart functionality — which had crept up to 36 percent from 27 percent.
She was due to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted in December but Faith had managed to get her functionality back to 47 percent — which is considered normal.
Faith had spent the last few months changing her diet, lifestyle and mindset.
Before her heart attack Faith was weight training and eating a lot of protein but now she does more gentle exercise, has a balanced diet and has trained as a Pilates instructor.
She said: “It’s the most confident I have ever been.
“It’s a completely new chapter.
“It’s a bit like a rebirth.”
Faith wants her story to help make changes in women’s health care.
She said: “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 wants to see more mental and emotional health support for survivors.
She said: “I’d like to see phycological support made accessible and integrated with cardiac care.”
Faith has chosen to celebrate the anniversary of her heart attack — with a big heart cake.
She said: “I’m not shying away from it.
“Survivors shouldn’t ignore their anniversary.
“I’m celebrating being given another year.”
