Teen dismissed as anxious by doctors 10 times before real diagnosis

MOLLY WAS EVENTUALLY TOLD SHE IS SERIOUSLY ILL AND DESCRIBES IT AS THE “SCARIEST MOMENT” OF HER LIFE NEIL SHAW Assistant Editor 06:41, 30 May 2025Updated 08:15, 30 May 2025 A teenager who

went to the doctor more than ten times was eventually diagnosed with a serious condition - despite being initially dismissed as just anxious. Molly Cullingford was only 16 when she started

suffering constant cramps, migraines and nausea in August 2021. She went back and forth to the doctor who thought she was worried about starting college. Then her symptoms got worse. “I

began to not be able to stand up for long periods of time, and I wasn’t able to keep food down,” she says. “We had a home visit from the doctor and I was told I had a kidney infection.” By

the next day Molly was so unwell she was taken to hospital. She had severe chest pain, a racing heart and numbness in her left arm. Tests finally revealed she had chronic rheumatic

myopericarditis, a condition that permanently damaged her heart valves. Molly describes it as the “scariest moment” of her life. “I never thought it would be anything serious, because as a

16 year old you would think it would never happen to you,” she says. “It was a major shock to both me and my family as there is no history of heart conditions in my family. “Even after I was

diagnosed I didn’t realise how serious it is - I only learnt after teaching myself. I was initially really scared, I thought my life was going to be incredibly limited from then on, and I’d

have to learn how to manage this all on my own. It was scary as I knew nobody with this condition or anything similar, so I felt isolated. Article continues below “Being in hospital during

Covid times and being 16 meant I wasn’t told anything by nurses and it all went through my parents. I never really learnt what I’d been diagnosed with until I was discharged.” Molly, now 19

and a restaurant manager, had been fit and healthy with an active social life. She had dreamed of becoming a nurse. But her diagnosis came as a bombshell and her anxiety was heightened by

doctors’ constant dismissals. “Being dismissed constantly eventually made me incredibly cautious about raising further concerns,” she says. “Before being admitted to hospital I went to the

doctors over 10 times saying something was wrong, and got sent home with nothing every time. “After being discharged I was nervous to go back to the doctors for the fear that I would just be

dismissed again. I developed anxiety and was put on further medication to manage this.” Molly also had a reaction to the first drugs she was given to manage her symptoms and had to come off

them. She ended up with constant kidney infections and her immune system is now very weak. But then she had a breakthrough. “Around nine months ago, over two years after my diagnosis, I got

paired with a new cardiologist who has been so amazing and majorly helped my symptoms,” the teenage, from Liskeard, Cornwall, says. “She suggested joining the gym and more exercise to

improve my heart health. “I still work closely with doctors, have frequent appointments and take medication to manage my symptoms - but they have improved. Last year my symptoms were the

worst, and I was too anxious to go anywhere that I might not be able to get instant help. “I stopped going to concerts, wouldn’t go anywhere on my own and limited my life. However, my mental

and physical health has majorly improved. Even though I do have frequent flare ups, I know what my body is now capable of and I no longer limit myself.” Molly wants to raise awareness of

heart issues, so that others will be more understanding of conditions that may not be instantly visible. “I wish more people knew that just because people with heart conditions may present

themselves as fine, it can be incredibly difficult to process being diagnosed and then learning how to live with it,” she says. “I am so lucky I had such an amazing support system of my

family and friends that helped me get through this. Heart conditions can affect anybody, even at such a young age. I never thought it would happen to me, but everyone should know it can.

Article continues below “I have grown both mentally and physically since my diagnosis. I am very open about my condition in hopes it raises awareness and hopefully makes a change with how

young girls are treated when raising concerns about their health. I love being active, and going on long walks with my dog and friends. I work with an amazing team that are always

supportive, especially when it comes to my health.” Find out more at Heart Research UK at www.heartresearch.org.uk.