written by Michael Grivas
I am 27 years old and I come from Greece. Four years ago… my life suddenly changed. When I learned that I have Brugada Syndrome, yes… I felt like the ground was slipping away beneath my feet.
In 2021, I was hospitalized with acute myocarditis and a Brugada type 1 ECG, during a time that was already very difficult for everyone because of COVID-19. It was a period when I couldn’t see my parents and friends regularly. I was alone in the hospital for three consecutive months, and the anxiety… was enormous. For me, but also for my parents.
Brugada is insidious, especially for someone my age. It tends to “hide” in the ECG. Many times, it looks normal… but it isn’t. And with the myocarditis I had at the same time, it was even harder to get a correct diagnosis. The doctors didn’t know whether the findings were due to Brugada or to myocarditis.
After my hospitalization, and after I suffered a fainting episode, it was finally decided that I should be implanted with a defibrillator (ICD). When it happened, I felt like life was given back to me. Honestly, it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
Brugada is not just a medical term. It is fear. Uncertainty. Limitations. I learned to find strength in small moments: in a chat with friends, in a look that calms me, in a smile that makes my day better. My family and friends stood like lighthouses.
Brugada is not just a medical term. It is fear. Uncertainty. Limitations. I learned to find strength in small moments: in a chat with friends, in a look that calms me, in a smile that makes my day better. My family and friends stood like lighthouses. Seriously… without them, I don’t know what would have happened.
In Greece, for an ICD to be approved, you must have already suffered a cardiac arrest. This leaves many people exposed. Some show warning signs… but aren’t saved in time. Others who suffered an episode… didn’t make it. And that is exactly where the idea for the Hippocrates AI Assistant Project was born: an artificial intelligence platform that can provide accurate and timely diagnosis of heart conditions. I want to help doctors make the right decisions, fast. To save lives. And to reduce mistakes. The most important thing for me? I don’t ever want anyone else to go through what I went through. That is my goal.
When everything seems lost… there is always a road ahead. Hope can be born out of fear. Strength can be born out of difficulties. Every day is a chance to continue, to dream, and to move forward.
Don’t let hardships break you. Life can always give you a second chance. And believe me… it’s worth seizing.
Thank you to Michael and PatientWorthy for sharing this story with us.
Thank you very much for sharing my story!
Michael, thank you for sharing your story. I can only imagine what you went through, the anxiety. and fear and I hope you are traveling well now. My story is almost the opposite of yours, I have no history of any heart issues, no blood pressure problems and generally very healthy.
I went for a routine ECG and I was asked to leave the room, minutes later I was invited back in and within minutes there was a call from a cardiologist and she told me that I had Brugada Syndrome Type 1 which was explained to me very well and I was told I would need an S-ICD installed as soon as possible. I was in shock and confused, I was well.
Two weeks later after some more tests my defibrillator was placed in my chest. I am so thankful for Australia’s public health system, everything was covered including psychology, physiotherapy appointments if needed.
It still scares me that I was living with something as unpredictable as undiagnosed Brugada. I had accepted that sometimes I was giddy and a few times I passed out, I had no idea it was something that could be so deadly. I am thankful for the opportunity to continue and live life to the fullest. This gift in my chest is there so I can live, it’s a beautiful thing we have.