A woman from Solihull has revealed how a heart attack in her twenties dramatically altered the course of her life, urging others not to ignore warning signs.
The Day Everything Changed
Neena Chauhan was just 27 years old and a regular gym-goer when she was rushed to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 2013. She had experienced chest pains for several weeks but did not seek emergency help until she felt an intense, 'crushing' pain. Her mother and siblings called an ambulance after witnessing her writhing in agony and sweating profusely at their family home.
Neena, now 40, described the sensation as feeling like "an elephant was sitting on me." This was coupled with severe pins and needles radiating down her left arm.
Immediate Intervention and Recovery
On arrival at the hospital, medical teams acted swiftly. Neena underwent an immediate procedure to fit a stent, which opened her blocked artery. She was told she could have died if the procedure had not been performed promptly, as the heart attack risked triggering a cardiac arrest.
"I knew how lucky I was to be alive and I’m so grateful for the fast response of the ambulance crew and the medical team at the hospital," Neena said. "But it was such a terrifying time. I came so close to death that it severely affected my mental health for two years; I suffered with PTSD."
The aftermath left her fearful. "I was scared to leave my room and would just sit and not want to face the world or do anything that might strain my heart. The truth was that I wasn’t doing my heart or mind any good just sitting there."
Taking Back Control and Giving Back
Her turning point came after a holiday to Marbella with family and friends. "I looked at the photos and barely recognised myself. I knew I had to take back control and start living again," she explained. "For me it was really important to get back to my gym routine – slowly at first – and to regain the person I’d lost."
Neena is now supporting the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Christmas campaign, ‘A Gift That Keeps On Living’. The campaign urges the public to donate to fund vital research into cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke.
Researchers are currently investigating whether a new care pathway, which could include simple tools like a finger-prick test, might identify people at risk of a heart attack before it happens.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the BHF, said: "Neena is one of so many people across the UK whose Christmas wish is for treatments and cures that we just don’t have yet. Groundbreaking research funded by BHF has helped improve and save the lives of many people with cardiovascular disease, but our job is not done."
In a recent show of support, Neena completed the BHF’s November skipping challenge, doing 100 jumps daily throughout the month and raising an additional £628 for lifesaving research.
