Faye suffered a heart attack at 24. (Image: Instagram)
Faye Greenwood initially mistook the symptoms of her heart attack for a panic attack while on a work trip to Paris. The lifestyle influencer, now 25, was 24 when she became seriously ill in July 2025. She had been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy at 18 and was taking medication to control the condition. However, she said she had never been told that her heart problem could increase her risk of suffering a heart attack.
Faye had travelled to the French capital with her boyfriend for a work event and initially put her extreme tiredness down to exhaustion.
“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 returned to the hotel to sleep, but woke up still feeling drained. Later, the couple delivered a talk on stage at the event. Almost immediately after it ended, Faye’s condition deteriorated.
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.”
The sudden anxiety and severe pain initially led Faye to believe she was experiencing a panic attack.
Her symptoms then escalated. She began vomiting blood and found it difficult to breathe, prompting her to realise that something far more serious could be wrong.
Her boyfriend called for an ambulance, and Faye was taken to A&E.
Despite being in severe pain, she waited for several hours without receiving a proper assessment. Eventually, she returned to the hotel because she could no longer cope with the pain.
The fact that she was in France also made the situation more difficult because of the language barrier.
“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.”
After going to sleep, Faye woke feeling even worse. Another ambulance was called, and this time doctors recognised the severity of her condition.
She underwent surgery to remove the blockage responsible for the heart attack.
Reflecting on the experience, Faye said she had not recognised the early symptoms as possible warning signs of a heart attack.
She recalled feeling unusually exhausted despite having done very little, alongside losing weight and experiencing a reduced appetite.
The World Health Organisation warns that heart attack symptoms can differ between men and women.
The organisation states 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.
