NHS diagnosed my mystery condition – now I work at hospital

A former swimming star who kept fainting in the pool before being diagnosed with a rare respiratory condition is returning to the hospital that treated her … as an NHS doctor. Carys Havard, 23, who swam at Welsh national level and dreamed of international stardom, struggled with breathing difficulties and frequently collapsed in the water, eventually forcing her to quit.

In March 2020, she was diagnosed with laryngomalacia, a throat condition that causes breathing difficulties and other serious symptoms. She underwent three operations at the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff, finally bringing an end to years of unanswered questions – and enabling her to become ‘Miss Earth Wales’ in 2023.

Now she’s set to return to the same hospital’s wards but as a foundation doctor, after studying medicine at Keele University.

Carys told us: “For years, nobody knew what was causing my symptoms.

“I was repeatedly told it was asthma and, at times, people thought I was exaggerating or making it up, which was incredibly difficult and isolating.

“I was training up to nine times a week and these symptoms affected me daily. I would lose consciousness in the pool, but then I’d start breathing again – it was a very, very scary ordeal indeed.

“Finally receiving a diagnosis gave me answers and completely changed the direction of my life.

“I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was five years old, and that ambition was strengthened by my own health journey.

“To now be starting my career at the same hospital where I was diagnosed, underwent three surgeries and spent so much time as a patient feels incredibly surreal. It truly feels like a full-circle moment.”

The newly-qualified doctor remembered one day she was in A&E with “everyone sort of… leaving me in the corner” and she was “wheezing and wheezing until I did collapse”.

“Everyone sort of just said ‘oh’, rolled their eyes and there was this one doctor who said ‘no, she turned blue’. They said ‘no, this is dangerous, she’s not getting any oxygen to her brain’ and that was where the ball started rolling.

“I want to be like that doctor who understands how helpless a patient can be in that moment and I want to listen to everything that that patient says to me.”

Carys, from Crickhowell, Powys, started her medical degree at Keele in 2021 after her diagnosis.

Just a few months into her first year, she underwent surgery, and another operation followed shortly before she began her second year.

Laryngomalacia causes skin tissue to fold over into the airway, so over three operations, surgeons use specialised instruments through the mouth to trim and reshape the floppy tissue.

While studying and finally healthy, Carys also won the title of Miss Earth Wales in 2023.

It saw her travel to Vietnam with more than 80 other women from across the world to represent the UK in Miss Earth, an international beauty pageant with a focus on sustainability and environmental preservation.

She also found the confidence to return to the swimming pool, swimming 50km to raise money for charity; later, she was also diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia.

She said: “I grew up on a farm in rural Wales, so a big city university was never really for me.

“I knew I wanted to move away from home, gain some independence and experience living on my own, and Keele’s campus felt like the perfect fit.

“At school, I remember looking at words on a page and feeling as though they were jumbled, but I just assumed that was what everyone else saw.

“When one of my lecturers at Keele suggested I be assessed for dyslexia, it came as a real shock. Looking back, though, it completely changed the direction of my time at university.

“I’m not sure I would be where I am today without that diagnosis and the support that followed.

When she found out she had secured a job at the hospital where she was treated Carys was thrilled.

She explained: “When I found out I’d be working there, I burst into tears, and when I told my mum, she did too. It was a very emotional day for both of us.

“Being diagnosed was life changing. It not only transformed my health but also shaped the kind of doctor I want to become.

“My own experiences have shown me how important it is to listen to patients and take their concerns seriously, especially when they are searching for answers.

“Having seen healthcare from the patient’s perspective, I hope that will help me be a more compassionate and understanding doctor.”