Reality television star Fraser Olender has issued a stark health warning after revealing he suffered a heart attack at the age of 33, which doctors linked directly to vaping. The Below Deck chief steward shared a harrowing account of his hospitalisation with his followers on Instagram this Friday.
A Terrifying Hospital Ordeal
Olender posted a series of images from his hospital bed, explaining that several weeks ago he was rushed to a London hospital with acute chest pains and breathing difficulties. He spent a week under the care of specialists who diagnosed him with E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI).
"To keep it simple - I had vape poisoning," Olender wrote. He described the fear and pain as the worst he had ever experienced. EVALI is a serious inflammatory condition that damages the lungs, though medical experts remain uncertain about the exact components in e-liquids that trigger it.
The Medical Cause: A Coronary Artery Spasm
The 33-year-old detailed the precise medical event that led to his heart attack. "Whatever was in my vape caused me to have a coronary artery vasospasm," he explained. This meant the arteries supplying blood to his heart suddenly constricted.
That spasm severely reduced blood flow, resulting in an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) – a type of heart attack. Crucially, this was not caused by a physical blockage but by his heart being starved of oxygen during the spasm.
A Painful Warning to Others
Olender expressed his gratitude for being on the road to recovery but emphasised the severity of his ordeal. His pain was so intense that two rounds of morphine provided no relief. He eventually required the strongest pain relief legally permissible in an Emergency Room, which only reduced his agony from a "10 to a 7."
He has vowed never to vape again and urged his followers to do the same. "I could have died for the sake of something so ridiculously stupid," he stated. "We do not know enough about these horrific things... Please do yourselves a favour and give it up too - cold turkey."
His Instagram post also featured a clip of his boyfriend, podcast host Matt Rogers, at his bedside, and a final photo showing Olender on a flight, giving a thumbs-up to signal his recovery.
Fraser Olender joined the Bravo series Below Deck in its ninth season as a steward and made history in season ten by becoming the franchise's first male Chief Steward. The show follows the crew of a luxury yacht catering to demanding charter guests. The series is set to return for a thirteenth season in 2026.
