Fit and healthy teen told she had 'anxiety' - then she 'died' for five minutes in front of classmates
A teenager has demanded answers after she 'died' in front of her classmates despite repeatedly being told by doctors that her chest pain was just a symptom of anxiety.
Student Evelyn Walker, 17, needed life-saving CPR from her teachers to restart her heart after suffering a cardiac arrest and collapsing in school.
The teen's heart is believed to have stopped for five minutes before she was stabilised and blue lighted to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.
There, Evelyn was placed into a three-day coma and hospitalised for a month before being fitted with an internal defibrillator to regulate the heart's rhythm and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Evelyn believes she may have had an underlying heart issue for a while after flagging chest pains with her GP two years before the incident, but says her symptoms were dismissed as 'anxiety'.
Evelyn, from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, said: 'The only indication that I had any issue was that I had mild chest pains. We went to the GP about it a couple of years ago but they just put it down to physical symptoms of anxiety and it never got investigated.
'We still don't know if that was linked. I'm quite frustrated I was just told it was anxiety, just because I'm a young person. I'm sure if I was over 60 complaining of chest pain, they would've looked into it further.
'Don't just assume doctors are right. You know your own body better than anyone else and if you think something is off then don't be afraid to push and get it investigated. Heart problems can affect anyone.'
On the day she collapsed, February 7th, she began to feel unwell before her first lesson.
'It was just a normal morning. I got up, had my breakfast, got ready for school, walked to school with my friend, then when I got into school at around 8.30am, I basically just collapsed,' says Evelyn.
'I felt fine that morning. Everything was normal until I started getting chest pains, began feeling sick and collapsed.
'I don't have any memories of the event. I completely blacked out.'
The 17-year-old had gone into cardiac arrest, with teachers racing across the building to grab their on-site defibrillator and alert the school's medical officer.
An unconscious Evelyn was shocked twice with the device, which successfully restarted her heart before she was rushed to hospital.
Her mother, Jennifer Walker, 47, said: 'It was the worst moment of my entire life. I was in bed asleep having a lie in and heard my phone going then just saw the word 'ambulance' on my phone.
'I just thought Evelyn had bumped her head or fallen over. Then the police were on my doorstep and I just thought she was dead. It was absolutely awful.
'I was just screaming and screaming. Then when I realised she wasn't dead, I just chucked some jeans on and we went to the school.
'I was in complete shock, nothing like this had ever happened before. It was completely out the blue. She's a healthy, vibrant young girl.'
After multiple tests, doctors believed abnormalities in Evelyn's heart could be to blame.
She has since been fitted with an internal defibrillator and said her near-death experience has changed her outlook on life.
Evelyn said: 'Now that this has happened, I just want to pursue the life that I want to live. I feel like I've been given a second chance.
'I thought I was young and healthy and nothing like this would ever happen to me.
Her mother, a consultant, has launched a Facebook page called 'Young Hearts UK' to help raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest in young people.
She wants more people to learn CPR and defibrillator training in light of her daughter's episode.
NHS data shows a rise in the number of younger adults suffering from heart attacks over the past decade. The biggest increase (95 per cent) was recorded in the 25-29 year-old demographic, though as numbers of patients are low even small spikes can look dramatic
Mrs Walker said: 'If you do have some sort of chest pain, do get it looked into and don't just assume it's nothing.
'If [doctors] had just done a five-minute ECG, they would've seen Evelyn's results weren't normal.
'[Sudden cardiac arrest] is fairly rare for young people but not unheard of. In fact, 12 young people under 35 die each week in the UK from a SCA. That's why we want people to know CPR and to know where their nearest defibrillator is.'
Alarming data last year revealed that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks and strokes reached their highest level in more than a decade.
MailOnline has previously highlighted how the number of young people under 40 in England being treated for heart attacks by the NHS is on the rise.
Rising obesity rates, and its catalogue of associated health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes, are thought to be one of the major contributing factors.
There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year, with a survival rate of less than one in ten, according to the British Heart Foundation.
In around one in 20 spontaneous heart-related deaths in the UK, no definite cause can be found – known as sudden cardiac deathsyndrome.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
This £20 dermatologist-approved sheet mask is leaving users with a 'gorgeous glow' - here's where to get yours
A £20 treatment sheet mask designed by an experienced clinician and GP specialising in Dermatology for over 20 years is wowing users with its glow-inducing abilities. Decree is the doctor-led skincare brand that scores of shoppers are investing in for incredible skin. The £20 Decree SOS Revitalising Sheet Mask in particular, is a winner for restoring barrier hydration and boosting skin radiance. Providing 'instant' comfort, it could be a winner for pre-event prep this summer. £20 Developed to instantly calm, nourish and hydrate through a rose water based, active ingredient packed formulation, this mask has become a soothing must-have for stressed skin. With rose water to hydrate and condition, glycerin to plump and niacinamide to brighten, it's perfect for refreshing the skin ahead of a special event. Shop Decree Preparatory Mist £59 The new Decree Preparatory Mist is described as a 'next-generation hydrating mist toner' that blends the brand's 'signature ritual of care with cutting-edge science'. With 100 per cent of participants agreeing that skin is more radiant and smoother after use, it's fast becoming a poolside staple to top up skin hydration throughout the day - not to mention a great carry-on for long-haul flights to keep skin balanced and quenched as you're in the air. Its powered by Ectoin, a natural molecule that hydrates, protects against environmental stress, and supports skin repair. Blended with rose water, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants, it soothes, hydrates, and primes the skin for better absorption of follow-up products. Shop When it comes to investing in skincare, it pays to avoid trend-led gimmicks in favour of proven ingredients in formulations based on clinical experience with a strong focus on efficacy. And that's where Decree can help up your skincare game. Created by Dr Anita Sturnham, an experienced clinician and GP specialising in Dermatology, the brand focuses on using active levels of ingredients that have been clinically proven to create change at a cellular level in the skin. Dermatologically tested, the Decree SOS Revitalising Mask sits alongside the existing core and is designed to provide instant comfort, for even the most sensitive of skin. Delivering 'gorgeous' skin, whether you pop one on before a big event or as part of your nighttime skincare routine, the Decree SOS Revitalising Sheet Mask has gained impressive reviews thanks to its soothing, plumping results. If you've had a few too many late nights and your skin is looking dull and dehydrated, then a sheet mask could be a valuable step in your routine. Traditionally, sheet masks are soaked in a serum that's rich in hydrating ingredients, helping to promote deeper absorption and longer-lasting moisture. The Decree SOS Sheet Mask is no exception, developed to instantly calm, nourish and hydrate through a rose water-based, active ingredient packed formulation. This is all delivered via a coconut fibre bio-cellulose mask which is renowned for carrying the product deep into the skin. With rose water to hydrate and condition, glycerin to plump and niacinamide to brighten, it's perfect for refreshing the skin ahead of a special event. Better still, the SOS Revitalising Sheet Mask gets to work fast. Quick and convenient to use, delivering results in just 15 minutes users of the mask have said it's 'love at first use'. 'Whenever my skin is feeling dull through lack of sleep, had a night out or skin is feeling generally in bad condition I use this mask and it instantly revitalises my face' raved one impressed shopper. Dermatologically tested, the carefully formulated Decree SOS Revitalising Mask is used by Dr Anita J Sturnham in her clinic to provide instant comfort, for even the most sensitive of skins. And shoppers have been reaping these benefits from the comfort of their homes. 'Face looks so nice and healthy after' wrote one shopper with a third adding 'so soothing and lovely on the skin. Perfect for use after a peel'.
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Urgent 'do not eat' warning issued for popular sweets due to cancer fears
Officials have issued an urgent recall for a number of popular Jolly Rancher sweets over fears they contain ingredients linked to cancer. Those who've already eaten them should not panic, the Food Standards Agency has warned, as the risk is low, but they should be disposed of. These include Hard Candy, 'Misfits' Gummies. Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1, and Berry Gummies, all made by the Hershey company. The sweets contain the harmful chemicals Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbon (MOSH). These chemicals from crude oil have been linked to serious illness including cancer, particularly in the liver and lymph nodes. This makes the sweets unsafe to eat, particularly over long periods of time, and not compliant with UK law. American multi-national firm Hershey has taken action to remove them from the UK market. But other the sweets are still on some shelves as other businesses continue to import them to the UK. The alert urges these businesses to stop importing and selling the sweets to consumers, and tells customers not to buy or eat them.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
My wife's life was dedicated to finding a dementia cure. Then at 50 she was diagnosed with it
In 2023, my wife, Carol, and I renewed our wedding vows as part of a campaign for the Alzheimer's Society. She had lost the ability to speak by then, after living with the disease for more than a decade, yet she opened her eyes and her mouth puckered up when I leant over to kiss her. Our marriage lasted nearly 45 years until Carol's death, and for 12 of those I was her carer. People assume that was a sacrifice for me, but the opposite is true – looking after her was the greatest privilege. The first time we exchanged vows was in 1979. She was a primary school teacher and I worked at a university – later I would go on to be a clergyman and historical author. Carol was warm, confident and headstrong, with her shining eyes. In the same year that our daughter Emily was born, Carol's lovely father, Walter, became unwell with shingles and never seemed to recover. A year later, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, at 58. In the next two years, so had four of his siblings – Carol's aunts and uncles – who were only in their 50s. At that time, doctors believed Alzheimer's was purely an illness of the unfortunate elderly, and genetics wasn't thought to play any part. When our second child, John, arrived three years later, we were overjoyed. The only cloud on the horizon was Carol's conviction that there was a genetic connection to her family and Alzheimer's. She refused to let it go, and in 1986, she responded to an advertisement that was placed in an Alzheimer's Society newsletter, from researchers at University College London (UCL) who were studying the disease and looking for families with two or more members affected by Alzheimer's. Sure enough, Carol was proved right. By 1991, those UCL scientists had identified a gene that all her affected family members shared. It's arguably the most important breakthrough made in the history of this disease, and galvanised researchers to target the causes of dementia rather than just treating the symptoms. Instead of falling apart, Carol committed to supporting research into the disease and co-ordinated her family members to take part too. Every year, she travelled from our Midlands home to London for MRI scans, blood tests and cognitive testing. And over the course of her doing this for decades, scientists were able to identify the first known genetic cause of the disease, in research part-funded by Alzheimer's Society: a mutation to the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene which caused too much amyloid protein to build up in the brain, clumping together to form plaques and resulting in brain cells dying. Although Carol was offered a test to see if she had the gene, she chose not to. 'Well, if there's no treatment that can stop it, or even slow it down yet, then what's the point?' she'd say. 'I could get run over by a bus tomorrow, I've got a good life and I'd rather not know whether it's going to be shorter than I'd hoped for.' Carol always looked on the bright side. As I was a Methodist church minister, our family moved parishes every few years and Carol had always been brilliant at organising the upheaval. Yet, around the age of 50, she suddenly became more overwhelmed with the packing: she was more forgetful, and it distressed her. Our children, by then grown up, noticed she had stopped phoning them as much and asking them about their lives. Just before Christmas in 2012, Carol was diagnosed with 'mild cognitive impairment'. We all knew what it meant. And the doctors knew our family well by then. She sat calmly listening as this dreaded news was delivered. It was me who broke down in tears; I'd always imagined it would be the other way round. The following months were hard for Carol. She would wake up crying some nights, knowing precisely the future awaiting her. Her whole raison d'etre for years had been to drive forward the search for a cure, but overnight it had morphed into learning to cope as someone living with dementia. She was determined to carry on giving herself to the research, even though the lumbar punctures weren't nice. 'Well, I've come this far,' she would say. Knowing that our children both had a 50-50 chance of developing Alzheimer's in the future, Carol longed for a cure or drug to at least slow the disease's progression. 'If not in time for me, then for the next generation,' she said. My role became to support Carol as best I could, to help soothe all the anxieties that are ramped up with Alzheimer's. While she was in the milder, earlier stages of dementia, Carol and I shared those difficult conversations about the future. We both knew it was important to sort out our finances and get power of attorney in place. We also talked about what would happen as the disease progressed. We wanted to keep her at home as long as possible, though she hated the idea of losing her dignity and wanted me to get help when the time came to look after the more personal care: washing and using the loo. Living through a loved one's Alzheimer's decline has been likened to watching a sandcastle. Little bits of sand trickle away gradually and often imperceptibly, but there are also times when unexpectedly larger chunks fall off the castle because of this gradual consistent trickle. This is exactly how it felt as she transitioned from early dementia to the later stages. We were lucky enough to have had incredible support from our GP, social workers, care agency staff and Admiral nurses, when the time came for back-up. And of course, the love and support of our children, John and Emily, and Emily's daughter, Eleanor, who would come and stroke her granny's hand. Emily and John face the dilemma of whether to undergo genetic testing, which they will do one day, when they are ready. The doctors have all Carol's scans over the years showing the increasingly dark spaces that overtook her brain as the disease took hold. John has looked at all these with the doctor, but I can't bear to. Instead, I prefer to look at the memory book I would pore over many times with Carol – all our happy photographs from the sum of a wonderful life. During the pandemic, Carol lost the ability to walk, or negotiate stairs and struggled to feed herself. Then from 2021 her condition escalated at a frightening pace as she started having major seizures that robbed her of any mobility – incontinence became an issue – and eventually ended any speech, apart from the occasional yes and no. I'd hug her, kiss her head and hold her hand to feel close to her. Of course there were challenging times when I'd need to leave the room to take a moment. But while our love changed shape, it never left us. I didn't see the disease; I still saw Carol as the woman I loved up until the day she drew her last breath last March. Because Carol had continued to be so involved at the Dementia Research Centre, I had promised I would ensure her brain was donated to medical research, come what may. As Christians it seemed a particularly fitting day to die on Good Friday, but it proved an extra practical challenge getting urgent refrigeration on a bank holiday. I made sure it happened though – I couldn't have let her down on her final wish. Alzheimer's Society uses the forget-me-not as its emblem, and I planted these pretty blue flowers in our garden. They blossomed just before Carol died. She was 70. Thanks to Carol and all the dedicated scientists working in this sphere, I'm optimistic we will be able to test for Alzheimer's much sooner and have drugs available to slow the disease down. There is still progress to be made, but I take great comfort in the fact that Carol contributed so much to this fight. As told to Susanna Galton
