Woman who suffered heart attack at 24 shares warning signs other young women may overlook

A woman who suffered a heart attack at the age of 24 has opened up about the warning signs that some young women may overlook.

Faye Greenwood had the heart attack in July 2025 while on holiday in Paris with her now-fiancé, Ailbhe Lower, who is also an influencer known as Mr Bruv.

Due to translation issues and people misunderstanding the symptoms of a heart attack, considering Faye's young age, it took over six hours before she was eventually admitted to hospital.

She had been diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy prior to her emergency, but doctors noted that it was unclear if her cardiomyopathy played a direct role in the heart attack.

After returning to the UK, Faye was informed she may have had to wait up to a year for a heart transplant.

However, the fashion and lifestyle content creator was fortunately able to find a suitable donor and leave hospital around four months later.

Since her heart attack, Faye has used her social media platform to raise awareness of the lesser-known symptoms of heart conditions which women face.

In a recent Instagram post, Faye warned her 345k followers that symptoms can 'hide in plain sight', urging anyone reading to 'be aware' no matter how small they may seem, as it could save a life.

"This isn't just the kind of tiredness a coffee can fix, an extreme, sudden tiredness after daily tasks is a warning sign," she wrote in the overlay text.

"Loss of appetite & unexplained weight loss isn't always a win, your heart and stomach are closer connected than you may think."

The influencer continued: "When a flight of stairs forces you to stop and catch your breath, it isn't always a sign to work harder - it's a sign to check in with the Dr!"

Additionally, she warned about 'heavy, burning feelings in your chest' that you may have dismissed as acid reflux.

"If 'indigestion' feels new, heavy, or persistent - it's best to get it checked!" Faye urged.

She added: "Needing an extra pillow to breathe comfortably at night isn't just a bad sleeping position. It's time to listen to your body."

Faye rounded off the carousel post writing: "I didn't know the warning signs, but I want you to!

"Know your body, trust when something doesn't feel right, speak up!!"

She captioned the post, which was shared last week (29 September): "Today is World Heart Day, and I feel it’s only right to shed awareness on a subject that’s very important to me and deserves more awareness, especially in young people.

"Not every heart event looks like the dramatic scenes shown to us on TV. Sometimes the signs can be subtle or easy to brush off as normal, but experiencing multiple symptoms isn’t something to just ignore. There's a chance it’ll be nothing, but there’s no harm in getting a checkup.

"Awareness matters and every day I think back to that day and even the weeks before that day and wish I knew those signs and that my body was trying to tell me something!"

Faye concluded: "SO today, take a few minutes to get yourself familiar with the signs, there’s so much useful information and resources out there!

"You never know when that knowledge might help you — or someone you love!!!"

Heart.org lists the following as common symptoms of a heart attack, urging anyone experiencing any of these signs to call 911 and get to a hospital right away.

• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the centre of your chest. It may last more than a few minutes or go away and come back.
• Pain or discomfort in one of the:
• Arms (one or both)
• Back
• Neck
• Jaw
• Stomach
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs, including:
• Breaking out in a cold sweat
• Nausea
• Lightheadedness

As with men, the experts add, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort.

"Some women having a heart attack describe upper back pressure that feels like squeezing or a rope being tied around them," Heart.org adds.

Women may have other symptoms that are typically less associated with heart attack, such as:

• Anxiety
• Shortness of breath
• Upset stomach
• Pain in the shoulder, back or arm
• Unusual tiredness and weakness

You can find out more about the symptoms of heart attacks on the official NHS website here.