22-year-old forced to have double lung transplant due to vape addiction
A man has been forced to have a double lung transplant after his vape addiction left him hospitalised for months.
Jackson Allard, from North Dakota, was initially admitted to the University of Minnesota for stomach trouble in October 2023.
Once doctors ran some tests on him, they discovered that something far more serious was going on - he had influenza 4 and pneumonia.
The 22-year-old was intubated to give his lungs a chance to heal, but their condition was deteriorating.
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It was ultimately decided that his best chance for survival was to have a double lung transplant.
Allard's grandmother, Doreen Hurlburt, spoke of how doctors broke the news: "At one point, a doctor said he had a 1 percent chance of living and we said, 'He's fighting, he's fought for how many weeks we're going to give him a chance to fight, we're not going to stop any procedures or anything.'
"He's just friendly, he's outgoing, everybody's just attracted to his energy and how much fun he is.
"I thought for sure we were going to lose him. I thought for sure he’s not going to survive this, but in my mind I kept picturing him coming home."
According to Hurlburt, the family had already pushed for Allard to drop the habit.
She said: "You have to stop vaping, and we kept telling him that over and over and over again, and he was a heavy vaper. He vaped all the time, but he said, 'It’s better than cigarettes.'
"Well they said, with cigarettes in 50 years you’ll have lung cancer, in five years, if you vape they will see you with permanent lung damage."
In the aftermath of his operation, Allard will be staying in Minneapolis for at least six months to receive regular check-ups.
Currently, it looks like Allard will never be able to drink alcohol or smoke again in his life.
It's also likely that he'll need another transplant at some point in his life.
A GoFundMe has been launched by his grandmother, which has raised $20,910 towards the $30,000 goal.
Research by John Hopkins University found that thousands of chemical ingredients inside vapes have not been identified.
But among those that have, several were harmful substances, including a pesticide and flavourings linked to respiratory irritation.
A 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey found that over two million American students use e-cigarettes, with eight in 10 opting for the flavoured variety.
Ben Thompson