Faye had a heart attack aged 24. (Image: Instagram)
An influencer who had a heart attack in her 20s mistook the symptoms for a panic attack. Faye Greenwood, 25, was just 24 years old when she suffered a heart attack on a work trip to Paris in July 2025. She had been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy at 18 and was taking medication to manage the condition. But she alleged she had never been warned that her heart condition could potentially put her at greater risk of a heart attack.
Working as a lifestyle influencer, she was at a work event and initially thought she was simply exhausted.
“I remember feeling quite tired that day. My boyfriend and I just travelled to Paris because we had a work event, and we got there, and then I just felt really, really tired,” she told the Daily Express.
She went back to the hotel for a sleep but still felt exhausted when she woke up. The couple later gave a stage talk at an event, but immediately after finishing, Faye began to feel unwell.
She said: “I went on stage, did the talking bit and straight away, as soon as I got off, I felt really ill, went and sat outside, and I was having a heart attack then.”
At first, Faye thought she was having a panic attack after developing anxious and panicky feelings alongside severe pain.
But she soon began vomiting blood and struggled to breathe, making her realise something much more serious was happening.
Her boyfriend called an ambulance, and she was taken to A&E.
However, she sat there for several hours without being properly assessed and eventually returned to the hotel because she was in too much pain.
Things got even more complicated by a language barrier, as she was in France.
“Because I was having a heart attack and I was in so much pain, I couldn’t explain my feelings because my brain wasn’t there. So that was really hard on top of already having a language barrier.”
She went to sleep but woke up feeling even worse, and an ambulance was called again.
Doctors then realised how seriously ill she was, and she underwent surgery to remove the blockage that had caused the heart attack.
Looking back, Faye said she did not recognise her symptoms as warning signs of a heart attack.
She mainly remembers feeling unusually tired despite doing very little, as well as experiencing weight loss and a loss of appetite.
According to the World Health Organisation, symptoms of a heart attack can differ between men and women.
The organisation explains on its website: “The symptoms of a heart attack in men are intense chest pain, pain in the left arm or jaw and difficulty breathing. Women may have some of the same symptoms, but their pain may be more diffused, spreading to the shoulders, neck, arms, abdomen and back.
“Women may experience pain more like indigestion, and the pain may not be consistent. There may not be pain, but unexplained anxiety, nausea, dizziness, palpitations and cold sweat.
“Heart attacks in women may be preceded by unexplained fatigue. Women also tend to have more severe first heart attacks that more frequently lead to death, compared to men.
“If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath and/or fainting, seek emergency medical care immediately.”
Heart attack symptoms in women can differ to men. (Image: WHF)
Now recovering, Faye has returned to the gym and does cardio exercises three times a week.
She said the experience has taught her to take her health more seriously and to advocate for herself when something does not feel right.
“I always feel like I’m a pain – I don’t want to annoy people or whatever. But people should push for their health and speak up.”
Faye has shared her testimony on World Heart Day, which takes place every year on September 29 and raises awareness of cardiovascular disease.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
