A YOUNG man diagnosed with a serious heart problem has spoken of his ordeal in the hope of reaching out to others with the same condition.

Damian Foster, 24, from Pinehurst, has also issued a warning to people who might be displaying worrying symptoms to seek help before it’s too late.

On Christmas Day 2015, Damian’s life was to change for ever when doctors told him he had a condition called myocarditis, a serious inflammation of the heart muscle.

He said: “I was at the pub with my dad and friends on Christmas Eve and I felt fine. But I woke up the next day with really bad chest pains and was unable to breath.

“I tried to sleep it off and take painkillers, but it got unbearable. It felt like someone was standing on my chest.”

After trying to ignore the pain, he finally decided to call an ambulance and doctors told him that he would have had a heart attack had he left it any longer.

“I am 24 and I feel like an old man at the moment,” said Damian, who has been to hospital 57 times since his diagnosis.

“I don’t really have a life at the moment. I have been bedbound for the last couple of months and I’m on high doses of morphine.”

Damian first got the idea to speak out about his condition after seeing a fellow suffer do so. He saw the potential benefits it could bring other people and wanted to help.

He said: “People who experience chest pains or shortage of breath should go and see a doctor straight away, you just never know.”

Other symptoms include a decreased ability to exercise and an irregular heartbeat.

Speaking about how the condition has changed his life, Damian said: “I am totally limited as to what I can do. I find it hard to do stuff in general.

“Hopefully I can return to normal at some point. I would love to be able to go back to how it used to be, playing football, or going to work.

“Sometimes it feels embarrassing that I’m 24 and I have no energy or capacity to do anything.”

Damian issued a sincere thanks to all his family and friends who have supported him throughout his illness. He also voiced a special thank you to his girlfriend of eight months, Kara Ackerman.

“The first month we were together I was constantly having to go to hospital and she stayed there with me the whole time,” said Damian.

The 24-year-old has set up a fundraising page to bring in cash for the British Heart Foundation. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/damian-fozzy.