At a Glance
- Faye Greenwood, 24, suffered a heart attack in Paris and later received a heart transplant
- Medical bills totaled £54,000, including air ambulance flight back to England
- She now documents her recovery to 300,000 Instagram followers
- Why it matters: Her story highlights how serious heart conditions can strike young, healthy influencers without warning
A 24-year-old English travel and lifestyle influencer has revealed how a Paris vacation turned into a life-threatening medical emergency that ended with a heart transplant and £54,000 in medical bills.
The Paris Heart Attack
Faye Greenwood, who shares content with over 300,000 Instagram followers, was vacationing in Paris when she experienced a heart attack in July.
“On the day of the heart attack, I remember feeling very tired and sleeping for most of the day,” she told SussexWorld.
Her fiancé, Ailbhe Lower (known online as Mr Bruv), recognized something was seriously wrong and called an ambulance. But Greenwood’s condition made communication difficult.
“I was finding it really hard to talk to them as I was in and out of consciousness,” she explained. “It was tricky to explain how I was feeling.”
Emergency Room Ordeal
Greenwood’s initial hospital experience proved frustrating and frightening. She sat in the emergency room for nearly two hours without seeing a doctor.
“It was really scary in there, and they wouldn’t let my partner in with me,” she recalled.
Unable to receive immediate care, she left the hospital and returned to her hotel room. Later that night, her condition dramatically worsened.
“I woke up throwing up blood and barely being able to breathe,” Greenwood said.
Life-Saving Surgery
The second hospital visit revealed the severity of her condition. Doctors immediately took her into surgery to fit a stent, discovering a blockage in her artery that had caused the heart attack.
“This time they could clearly see something was very wrong, and they took me straight into surgery to fit a stent as there was a blockage in my artery, causing the heart attack,” she told SussexWorld.
The couple only learned it was officially a heart attack the next day when Lower was allowed to visit.
Heart Transplant Journey
Months after the initial heart attack, Greenwood faced another major medical challenge. In November, she shared with followers that she had received a heart transplant.
“filled with happiness, sadness, gratitude, grief, pain, inspiration and lots of love,” she wrote about the experience.
Throughout her recovery, Lower remained by her side. Greenwood publicly thanked “the most precious man” for his support during the difficult process.
“you mean more to me than anything I could ever think or dream to experience,” she wrote in November. “i can’t wait to continue enjoying every moment we have together my love ♥️”
Engagement Announcement
On December 26, the couple announced their engagement on Instagram with a joint post captioned “always gonna be us.”
The announcement came as Greenwood continued sharing her recovery journey with followers, documenting both the challenges and milestones of life after a heart transplant.
Financial Impact
The medical emergency carried a significant financial burden. Greenwood’s total medical expenses reached approximately £54,000, covering:
- Initial treatment in France
- Air ambulance transport back to England
- Ongoing medical care
“We have accepted it and are planning on paying it off slowly,” she told SussexWorld about the substantial medical debt.
Life After Transplant
Greenwood’s daily life looks dramatically different following her heart transplant. She must now carefully plan activities due to medication requirements and reduced energy levels.
“I can no longer ‘do things on a whim’ because of my medications and my energy levels are ‘definitely lower,'” she explained.
Despite these limitations, she maintains perspective on her situation.
“I felt weirdly normal considering I just underwent a life-changing surgery,” Greenwood said of her recovery process.
Gratitude and Moving Forward
The influencer expressed profound gratitude for surviving her medical ordeal and receiving a new heart.
“I am ‘extremely grateful I get to carry on experiencing anything,'” she told SussexWorld.
Greenwood has adapted to her new reality by adjusting her pace of life.
“I just take things at a slower pace now. Really, that’s not much of a problem in the grand scheme of things,” she reflected.
Her story continues to resonate with followers as she documents both the practical challenges and emotional aspects of recovery from a heart transplant at such a young age.
