The 22-year-old received a double lung transplant on January 1.
A 22-year-old man in the United States underwent a double lung transplant after he had only “one per cent chance of survival” following years of heavy vaping, as per a report in the New York Post. Jackson Allard from North Dakota was hospitalised and put on life support as his oxygen levels dropped.
In October, he was admitted to a clinic after complaining about stomach aches and low oxygen levels. He was diagnosed with Influenza 4 and double pneumonia. However, his condition worsened and he was then transferred to the University of Minnesota. Mr Allard’s health continued to decline and doctors decided to put him on life support.
Mr Allard’s grandmother Doreen Hurlbur stated that her grandson developed these problems from vaping and it got so bad at a point that his heart stopped beating. She spoke to Valley News Live and said, “A doctor said he had a one per cent 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.”
She had also requested him to quit vaping as it can prove more dangerous than traditional smoking methods. “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,” Ms Hurlburt said. However, her grandson kept on asserting that vaping is “better than cigarettes.”
At one point, the grandmother thought she would lose her “friendly, outgoing, energetic and fun” grandson. “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,” she said.
The 22-year-old received a double lung transplant on January 1. He will have to undergo regular checkups for the next six months. Mr Allard will never be able to smoke or drink again. He will also need another transplant later.