Apprentice star Lottie Lion reveals ‘life-changing’ health diagnosis after undergoing surgery following sudden collapse
APPRENTICE star Lottie Lion has opened up about her devastating diagnosis of a rare heart condition that may be fatal.
The 24-year-old collapsed on holiday before she was resuscitated in hospital where she underwent heart surgery.
Doctors discovered she has Wolff Parkinson-White, which causes an abnormally fast heartbeat.
At one point hers spiked to more than 200 per minute.
Usually treatable, it is life-threatening for former librarian Lottie due to a second diagnosis of an abnormal heart rhythm.
She is deemed medically unfit to fly back to the UK from Australia and requires three months of medication and further surgery.
If that is not successful she is at serious risk of a heart attack or stroke.
Lottie told The Sun from Sydney: “I was on a walk and felt extremely dizzy and was having heart palpitations.
“The next thing I knew I woke up in an ambulance.”
Before flying to Australia, Lottie was in Bali where she experienced heart palpitations.
She said: “I was putting it down to anxiety, so I ignored it.
“This is going to be life-changing for me, as I usually live an extremely active lifestyle attending the gym every day.
“I am on strict instructions having to take four different medications three times a day until I am able to have my second heart surgery.
“I’m also not considered ‘fit to fly’ so I am stranded in Australia.
“The next surgery involves trying to cauterise the abnormal circuits in my heart, but in a more invasive procedure with a two-month recovery period.”
Lottie’s dad Dominique also suffered from the genetic condition Wolff Parkinson-White.
She added: “I took for granted how fit and healthy I was. I absolutely loved my active lifestyle and I’m devastated and very frustrated that I can’t at present continue that.”
Lottie, who is with her New Zealand business owner boyfriend Lewis Holder, had posted a photo of her in hospital with a mask.
She previously told how her experience on the 2019 series of BBC’s The Apprentice took a toll on her wellbeing.
She said in 2022: “We are in a nationwide mental health crisis, and I’m one of the people that have suffered. There were times when I didn’t want to have to bother anymore, or carry on.”