A doctor gave a mum a serious warning about the dangers of vaping after her 17-year-old daughter was rushed to hospital with a serious case of 'popcorn lung'.
Nevada woman Christie Martin got a call from her daughter Brianne Cullen, who said she was struggling to breathe.
The 17-year-old was rushed to hospital where she was given oxygen and sent in for x-rays ahead of being diagnosed with a type of lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, which is otherwise known as 'popcorn lung'.
This is where a build up of scar tissue in the lungs blocks the flow of air.
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It turned out that Brianne had been vaping in secret for three years, having taken up the habit at 14 to deal with the stress and anxiety of going back to school after the coronavirus lockdown.
Christie didn't know her daughter had been vaping, but had become increasingly suspicious after realising that Brianne had been getting ill a lot more.
The mum explained that the doctor told her 'we need to have a very serious conversation' about her daughter's vape habit, telling her that 'children are dying' from popcorn lung and they didn't know whether the 17-year-old would suffer long term effects.
Christie said that her daughter's cheerleading 'saved her life' as it resulted in her being unable to breathe which meant Brianne's popcorn lung was caught early on.
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"She went to cheer sick, she had a cough and a sore throat. She was lifting up these kids, tumbling, it's all very straining," the mum said of her daughter having to be rushed to hospital.
"She called me all of a sudden and said she can't catch her breath.
"I couldn't understand her, she kept saying 'I can't breathe', it was the scariest thing.
"Cheer saved her life because the exertion that you put out during cheer practice on top of being sick, she couldn't breathe."
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The 17-year-old has since been given an inhaler by doctors to help her breathe, and her mum said that 'she should be able to make a full recovery because we caught it so early' but is still worried as 'it can also cause problems like cancer in the future'.
Her mum now wants vapes to be taken 'off the market' and is hoping that the more people that are aware of the dangers the less damage might be done.
Christie also added that 'lots of mums are shaming' her over this, but warned that instead of pouring scorn on other parents 'just because you think your kid isn't' vaping they should instead heed the cautionary tale.
She said: "Smoking takes years to show its effect and your lungs can heal from it, but popcorn lung is irreversible.
"Kids can walk straight into these smoking shops and buy them, it's a money grab. You can't smell it on clothes. I would walk into her room all the time and I never saw her vaping.
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"It took a deadly diagnosis for her to stop."
Joe Harker