On that fateful February day, Pamela, from Neilston, went about her day as normal, driving to her work as a home-carer.

As the pain in her chest grew, she started to blame bad heart burn or indigestion. However later that night she found herself lying on her kitchen floor, battling a soaring temperature and agonising chest spasms.

Pamela rang the National Health Service’s 24 hour helpline, and on hearing her symptoms, experts on the other end of the line immediately rushed an ambulance to her Kingston Road home.

Within half an hour she was having emergency surgery to stop the heart attack she had been suffering for 12 hours.

Now Pamela is using her experience to push awareness of heart disease, and remind residents and even doctors that a heart attack can strike at any time.

She has also put together a fundraising night this week to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

Pamela said: “I went to see the doctor with my chest pains and general feeling of being fatigued and he diagnosed me with the flu, sent me home with some paracetamol.

“And I just went about my day, thinking I had really bad heart burn and later I was lying on the floor in my kitchen because it was cold and I was so hot, and I still had really bad chest pains.

“I phoned NHS 24 when my dog wouldn’t leave me alone, he was just all over me, I phoned them and they sent an ambulance straight away.” Pamela was rushed to Clydebank’s Golden Jubilee hospital, where she was immediately prepped for emergency surgery.

At that point she had been given a strong dose of morphine to combat the chest pains, before nurses explained what was happening.

She said: “I was pretty doped up on morphine and the nurse leaned over me and said ‘we have to prepare you for surgery, you are having a heart attack’.

“I was like, ‘oh okay’. I don’t remember much of what happened next, but the doctors and nurses were wonderful, I couldn’t fault them one bit and I have no doubt that they saved my life.” Pamela’s family has had a long history of heart disease. Her father died at the age of just 54 after what she described as a “massive” heart attack.

Her grandparents also passed away of heart complications, and her uncle on her mother’s side had also suffered from heart defects. Previous check-ups had shown that Pamela had a healthy, young and strong heart.

She continued: “When I went to see the doctor at first I don’t think the idea of me having a heart attack even passed through his mind.

“My previous ECG (electrocardiogram) had showed no problems and given my young age he had no reason to suspect a heart attack. But this goes to show that it does happen, and can strike at any age.” After what she has come to realise was a close call, Pamela says that she is now treating every day as a gift, and wants to make sure that her story will help raise awareness of the deadly disease.

She said: “My life is almost back to normal now, although I do take a large amount of medication. I really hope by telling my story I can raise awareness of the disease and help raise a bit of money for the great work of the British Heart Foundation.” On that fateful February day, Pamela, from Neilston, went about her day as normal, driving to her work as a home-carer.

As the pain in her chest grew, she started to blame bad heart burn or indigestion. However later that night she found herself lying on her kitchen floor, battling a soaring temperature and agonising chest spasms.

Pamela rang the National Health Service’s 24 hour helpline, and on hearing her symptoms, experts on the other end of the line immediately rushed an ambulance to her Kingston Road home.

Within half an hour she was having emergency surgery to stop the heart attack she had been suffering for 12 hours.

Now Pamela is using her experience to push awareness of heart disease, and remind residents and even doctors that a heart attack can strike at any time.

She has also put together a fundraising night this week to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.

Pamela said: “I went to see the doctor with my chest pains and general feeling of being fatigued and he diagnosed me with the flu, sent me home with some paracetamol.

“And I just went about my day, thinking I had really bad heart burn and later I was lying on the floor in my kitchen because it was cold and I was so hot, and I still had really bad chest pains.

“I phoned NHS 24 when my dog wouldn’t leave me alone, he was just all over me, I phoned them and they sent an ambulance straight away.” Pamela was rushed to Clydebank’s Golden Jubilee hospital, where she was immediately prepped for emergency surgery.

At that point she had been given a strong dose of morphine to combat the chest pains, before nurses explained what was happening.

She said: “I was pretty doped up on morphine and the nurse leaned over me and said ‘we have to prepare you for surgery, you are having a heart attack’.

“I was like, ‘oh okay’. I don’t remember much of what happened next, but the doctors and nurses were wonderful, I couldn’t fault them one bit and I have no doubt that they saved my life.” Pamela’s family has had a long history of heart disease. Her father died at the age of just 54 after what she described as a “massive” heart attack.

Her grandparents also passed away of heart complications, and her uncle on her mother’s side had also suffered from heart defects. Previous check-ups had shown that Pamela had a healthy, young and strong heart.

She continued: “When I went to see the doctor at first I don’t think the idea of me having a heart attack even passed through his mind.

“My previous ECG (electrocardiogram) had showed no problems and given my young age he had no reason to suspect a heart attack. But this goes to show that it does happen, and can strike at any age.” After what she has come to realise was a close call, Pamela says that she is now treating every day as a gift, and wants to make sure that her story will help raise awareness of the deadly disease.

She said: “My life is almost back to normal now, although I do take a large amount of medication. I really hope by telling my story I can raise awareness of the disease and help raise a bit of money for the great work of the British Heart Foundation.”