‘Won’t happen to me’: Moura 17-year-old Ethan Hawkins hospitalised after heart attack scare

An otherwise healthy and active teenager woke up in the middle of the night with what his family feared was a heart attack. Find out why he was airlifted to not one, but two hospitals for treatment.

A Central Queensland family has been rocked after their teenage son woke up with chest pains they feared was a heart attack, and his condition saw him airlifted to two hospitals for treatment.

Moura’s Ethan Hawkins, 17, woke his parents up at 3am last Thursday complaining of chest pain and within hours of driving him to the local hospital, he was airlifted to Rockhampton and later Brisbane, because of his heart.

Like anyone else his age, Ethan had spent the past few months getting his p-plates, looking for a job and hanging out with mates.

After Moura teen, Ethan Hawkins woke up with chest pains his family feared he was having a heart attack. Picture: Supplied

However, just days after disregarding some chest pain he experienced while on a drive, the Moura teen required two emergency flights for treatment on his now diagnosed rare heart condition.

Ethan’s family were distressed when he presented at Moura Hospital about 4am and was being treated by emergency staff for a possible heart attack.

He was then sent to Rockhampton Hospital by the RACQ Capricorn Helicopter Rescue for treatment, and within days was airlifted by the Royal Flying Doctor Service for specialist treatment at Brisbane’s RBWH.

On Thursday, a week after complaining of chest pain to his then sleeping parents, Ethan was diagnosed with the rare condition of Myopericarditis — a combination of both myocarditis and pericarditis — which involves an inflamed pericardium and heart muscle.

Ethan, 17, remained calm during his week-long ordeal between sharp pain and the eventual diagnosis but he says it has changed his mentality regarding his health and other young people. Picture: Supplied

While Ethan remained calm through his week-long ordeal, his mindset has certainly changed and he is urging other young people not to ignore warning signs.

“I didn’t think anything of it at first and wasn’t worried because I though chest problems wouldn’t happen to me considering I was so young,” Ethan said.

“But honestly now my thoughts have changed - if you have chest pain go see your doctor no matter how minor the pain might be because you just never know.

“The mentality of ‘it won’t happen to me’ is not a healthy one.”

Coincidentally, Ethan hopes to work in the health and care sector in the near future.

Just a week before having his own emergency, he had applied at a local aged care service provider for a role which helps keep the elderly in their own homes for longer.

Sadly, Ethan’s family has been unable to be at his bedside following a positive Covid test.

His mother travelled from Moura to stay with her Brisbane-based daughter, Ethan’s sister, but after she tested positive to Covid everyone had to isolate.

Margie Hawkins, Ethan’s mum, spoke of the dual blow of Ethan’s diagnosis and being unable to sit with him during the ordeal.

“A mother’s place is with her children so it’s been really tough ... just goes to show when it rains it pours,” Mrs Hawkins said.

Following his diagnosis, Ethan will now begin a long road to recovery and rehabilitation which will include antibiotics for at least the next three months.

A GoFundMe has been set-up to support Ethan and his family with medical and travel costs for his treatment.