Any doubts about the dangers of vaping should most certainly be squashed after hearing about this national story coming out of Detroit. Tragically, a 17-year-old Michigan boy had to receive a double lung transplant; all due to his addictive habit.
The boy, whose name was not released to the public, made news around the world for his dire situation. Doctors the city’s Ford Health System hospital spoke out about just how serious this epidemic has become.
“This is an evil that I have never faced before,” Dr. Hasan Nemeh, Ford Health’s lead thoracic specialist told the press. “This boy would face certain death if it weren’t for the lung transplant.”
The short soundbite was followed by a stern warning, “Parents, please tell your children to stop vaping immediately.”
Sadly, the boy had undergone an arduous journey before landing at Ford Health. He was first admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in early September. Doctors initially thought he had contracted pneumonia, but further examinations showed severe scarring on the lungs.
Not long after being admitted, the boy took a drastic turn for the worse. He was quickly hooked up to an ECMO machine, which began simulating heart and lung movements; oxygenating his body’s blood supply.
It was quickly determined that the boy would need a double lung transplant. Thus, he was ultimately transferred to Ford Health System and a lengthy surgery was scheduled.
The procedure took place October 15 and the boy does appear to be on the mend. But his road to recovery will be difficult and it should be noted that the survival rate after a surgery like this is typically seven or eight years.
Regardless, his parents are incredibly grateful to the doctors and donors who made it all possible. And they took the occasion to alert other parents across the country.
“Our son has gone from the typical life of a perfectly healthy 16-year-old athlete — attending high school, hanging out with friends, sailing and playing video games — to waking up intubated and with two new lungs, facing a long and painful recovery process as he struggles to regain his strength and mobility, which has been severely impacted,” they said in a statement. “We are forever grateful to the organ donor and their compassionate family for making the selfless decision to donate the gift of life.”
Tragically, this appears to be a trend that is on the rise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported over 2,000 similar cases across the country. Let it be known that vaping is a very serious addiction and one that needs to be discussed among all U.S. families.
Pulmonary Tuberculosis ( TB ) : Chest x-ray show alveolar infiltration at both lung due to mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
