Teen With Rare Condition Could Literally Be 'Scared to Death'

A 14-year-old girl from the U.K. suffers from a rare disease that can cause her to literally be scared to death, The Daily Mail reported.
Chloe Church, 14, of Swansea, Wales, has Long QT syndrome, a hereditary disorder of the heart's electrical system.

After each heartbeat, your heart's electrical system recharges itself in preparation for the next heartbeat, in a process is known as repolarization. In long QT syndrome, your heart muscle takes longer than normal to recharge between beats, called a prolonged Q-T interval, the Mayo Clinic said on its website.

Any kind of tiny shock to the system causing physical or emotional stress – like a surprise alarm or watching scary movies -- can speed up Chloe’s heart rate and trigger an arrhythmia.

“A lot of my friends go to under-18s night clubs, but I'm not allowed because if I dance too much or get too excited the adrenaline rush could kill me,” she said. “I worry about what it will be like when I get older—I don't even know if I will be able to ever have an alcoholic drink with my friends.”

Chloe’s sister, Evie, 11, suffers from the same disease.

Those around them, including teachers, are made aware of the condition and must be able to perform CPR.

“Sometimes it just feels like a time bomb waiting to go off,” said the girls’ mother, Samantha Church. “I don't know if they are going to be here tomorrow or in five years time.”

Click here to read more on this story from The Daily Mail.