Victoria Thomas, a 41-year-old accountant from Bristol, has shared her remarkable story of surviving a cardiac arrest at the gym, being clinically dead for 17 minutes, and later receiving a heart transplant after being diagnosed with a rare genetic condition.
In 2015, while at a boot camp session, Victoria collapsed after feeling drained and dizzy. Paramedics performed CPR for 17 minutes before her heart restarted. She recalls an out-of-body experience, floating near the ceiling and seeing her body on the floor, noting her legs looked swollen—a sign of heart failure.
After being discharged with a defibrillator, Victoria suffered multiple cardiac arrests, but continued playing netball. In 2021, she became pregnant and was diagnosed with Danon disease, a rare genetic disorder affecting the LAMP 2 gene. The condition had caused her heart problems.
At 30 weeks pregnant, Victoria had an emergency caesarean section, giving birth to a healthy son, Tommy. However, her heart function dropped to 11%, and doctors gave her only a few months to live. She was placed on the urgent transplant list.
In 2022, Victoria received a new heart. She says, 'I vowed I wouldn't leave him,' referring to her son. Now, she is recovering well and hopes to raise awareness about Danon disease and organ donation.
