Reality TV star Fraser Olender, known for his role on Bravo's Below Deck, has revealed he suffered a heart attack at age 33 due to 'vape poisoning'. The 33-year-old took to Instagram to share his ordeal with his 252,000 followers, warning others about the dangers of vaping.
Olender explained that he was rushed to hospital a few weeks ago with severe chest pains and breathing difficulties. After a week of tests in London hospitals, he was diagnosed with EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury). He stated: 'Whatever was in my vape caused me to have a coronary artery vasospasm... That spasm reduced blood flow enough to cause an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), better known as a heart attack.'
The star described the excruciating pain, noting that two rounds of morphine did not help, and only the strongest legal pain relief in the ER reduced his pain from a 10 to a 7. He said: 'I could have died for the sake of something so ridiculously stupid.'
Olender has since quit vaping and urged others to do the same. He first appeared on Below Deck in season nine and made history as the first male Chief Steward in season ten. The latest season is available to stream in the UK on Hayu via Amazon Prime.
