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A 22-year-old who had to undergo a double lung transplant following an addiction to vaping has issued an urgent warning to those thinking about picking up a vape.
When Jackson Allard, from North Dakota, was first admitted to the University of Minnesota for stomach trouble in October 2023, little did he know that his vaping addiction would soon lead to him needing a double lung transplant in order to save his life.
After undergoing tests, doctors discovered that the young man's lungs were full of fluid and he had influenza 4 and pneumonia, resulting in him being intubated to give his lungs a chance to heal.
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But this simply wasn't enough, and it was ultimately decided that Jackson needed a double lung transplant if he were to survive.
Jackson's grandmother, Doreen Hurlburt, spoke of how doctors broke the news, saying: "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.
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"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."
After receiving the double lung transplant in January of this year, Jackson has spoken out and issued a warning to those who have a vaping habit.
Speaking to Fox News, he said: "I was really sick, barely able to sleep, puking constantly. I had a one percent chance to live."
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Discussing his recovery, Jackson added: "The first thing that went through my head was, 'Can I live a normal life after this?'"
Jackson and his family are currently renting an apartment in Minneapolis while he recovers from his transplant, which sees him attend rehabilitation twice a week and get weekly blood work.
He also gets his PICC line - a tube connected to his veins for long-term medication - cleaned each week, as well as having to take 30 pills a day, with family being responsible for giving him his IV medication.
Speaking of his vaping addiction, Jackson revealed how he was just 14 when he first picked one up.
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"When I first started vaping, I was probably 14. I was pretty much non-stop doing it," he said, before revealing he later started using a weed vape too.
"I told my friend who smokes weed, I was like, 'Be careful with that'," he warned, suggesting that people should use marijuana gummies instead of vapes.
Dr. Brooke Moore, a pediatric pulmonologist at Children’s Minnesota, did not treat Jackson but spoke to Fox News and said she often sees patients with vaping-related lung injuries.
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"We've seen kids who have been vaping for short periods of time, and not necessarily with heavy use, come in with pretty significant lung injury from that," she said.
The dangers of vaping have been discussed widely in recent times, with a doctor warning how smoking a full 600 puff vape is the 'equivalent to about 48 to 50 cigarettes'.
This comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans for disposable vapes to be completely banned in the UK, with the ban coming into force from 1 April, 2025.
Emily Puckering