A 32-year-old woman, who was described as “fit and healthy,” has tragically died suddenly after receiving a Covid mRNA shot.
Rhian Griffiths’s heart palpitations were “dismissed by doctors as stress three times” before her shock sudden death.
Griffiths had visited the hospital three times after suffering from breathlessness and a racing heart.
The 32-year-old quantity surveyor from Manchester, England, underwent several tests.
However, was discharged having been told her palpitations may be “stress-related.”
Alarmingly, doctors had told her that her symptoms could have been caused by COVID-19 and urged her to take another Covid mRNA shot, which she did shortly before she died.
In March last year, Rhian messaged the family group chat to say her heart was “playing up again” – reassuring them “not to panic.”
However, hours later Rhian was found unresponsive by doctors and tragically died after going into cardiac arrest.
Rhian’s sister Ffion Griffiths-Armstrong said their whole family was in “complete shock” over her unexpected passing.
The family was later told that Rhian had died because of an undiagnosed heart condition – myocarditis.
Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that leads to blood clots, strokes, cardiac arrest, and sudden death.
It can cause chest pains and palpitations but is often symptomless, creating a ticking timebomb for many sufferers.
Myocarditis is a known side effect of Covid mRNA shots.
The family said Rhian was told by doctors that her symptoms were caused by Covid.
However, Ffion said Rhian went to the hospital with symptoms following the Covid mRNA shot.
Ffion, who works in hospitality, said the health condition could’ve been treated if it hadn’t been repeatedly “missed” by doctors.
Now, the 31-year-old is determined to raise awareness of what happened to her much-loved sister to prevent further deaths.
Speaking about her sister’s sudden death, Ffion said it was such a shock “because she was so fit and healthy.
“She had all the checks but was discharged the next day and was completely fine,” Ffion recalled.
“Then in March the following year, she got the Covid vaccine and returned to hospital the next day with the same thing.
“They didn’t pick up on anything on the tests and thought the palpitations could be stress-related.
“Then in March 2023 she messaged us all to say her heart was playing up again and she was taking herself into hospital.
“She was messaging us all day and seemed absolutely fine.
“She’d been feeling unwell all that week.
“The Saturday before we’d all been out having drinks together having a great night.”
Rhian was kept in for monitoring overnight – and even tried to discharge herself after a few hours in hospital.
However, later that night Ffion received a phone call at 2 am from her mum to say Rhian was unresponsive and to urgently come to hospital.
Within a matter of hours, Rhian went into cardiac arrest and died on March 11.
Ffion said: “I think it was a complete shock to them on the ward too.
“I don’t think they knew how serious it was with her heart.
“They had no idea what had happened to her.
“Later once we got the post-mortem they said Rhian died from acute myocarditis.
“We’ve read online that you can pick up on myocarditis [with tests].
“I don’t know whether because Rhian was fit and healthy and recovered from the heart palpitation episodes so well, they just didn’t see it as a red flag.”
Ffion said that doctors told her sister she must have “unknowingly” caught Covid because she didn’t have any symptoms.
“We’re still so confused by it all and want answers,” she said.
“You just don’t expect this to happen to a fit and healthy 32-year-old girl.
“She did everything right so it’s frustrating that this was missed.
“From what I’ve read myocarditis is preventable and can be treated.
“It all bothers us so much that she should be here.
“She would’ve changed her lifestyle.
“It really angers us that her symptoms were just dismissed as stress.
“She just wasn’t taken seriously.”
Ffion wants to raise awareness of myocarditis and keep her late sister’s memory alive by completing several marathons for charity.
Ffion said: “Rhian was the most lovely, bubbly, energetic person.
“She always had a smile on her face.
“She had such a zest for life and had so much more life to give.
“We did everything together so my whole world crumbled when she died.
“It was just key life moments like my wedding that she missed.
“And we’re all mourning her life – she was loving her job and life in Manchester.
“I still think to this day it’s not fully hit me yet.
“It’s not something your parents should go through – it’s not the order of life.
“I just don’t want people to forget her because she was an amazing person.”
Ffion is running 32 marathons in 32 days beginning on her 32nd birthday to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.
