Vaping, which many perceive as a safer alternative to traditional smoking, has been thrust into the spotlight after a heart-wrenching incident in Belfast.
This week, the Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) group has launched a new awareness campaign to highlight the risks associated with vaping.
As part of the campaign, the NICHS spoke to mom Mary Griffin, whose daughter, Sarah, was placed in an induced coma after vaping.
Recalling the nightmarish sequence of events, Mary said: "It was a Sunday night. Sarah said she didn’t feel great. She started coughing but given her asthma history, we attributed it to the change in weather. Her coughing wasn’t unusual, so she used her inhaler and nebuliser into Monday morning."
The severity of Sarah's condition became distressingly evident the next day. "She rang, barely able to speak, saying, ‘I need a doctor or to go to hospital’," Mary recalled.
Rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Sarah's deteriorating condition meant she was quickly moved to the ICU.
Her mom explained: "The doctor showed me Sarah’s X-ray. One lung was badly damaged, overburdening the other, and exacerbating her asthma. Coupled with an infection, her body was under immense strain." Sarah's critical condition led to a heart-breaking decision: to put her in an induced coma.
To her family, it was a sight almost too painful to bear. "There were tubes, wires, and machines everywhere," Mary said. As a mother, she felt powerless, faced with the unimaginable task of consoling her other children, who were grappling with the potential loss of their sister.
The road to recovery was fraught with challenges. "Sarah had machines breathing for her. Every time doctors stabilized one vital sign, another would falter," says Mary. After several tense attempts, Sarah was finally brought out of her induced coma, signaling the beginning of her recovery journey.
Doctors later explained the underlying role vaping played. Conveying the chilling words of the medical team, Mary said: "The doctors explained that vaping had weakened Sarah’s lungs, making her susceptible. If we'd waited any longer before getting her to the hospital, she might not have made it."
While Sarah is now back home, her ordeal's repercussions are profound. "It has traumatized her. She thought she'd just get a nebulizer and be sent home, not end up in ICU," Mary said.
Now labeled as a high-risk patient for life, Sarah's once manageable asthma requires intensive treatment, and she's under the care of the Difficult to Control Asthma Clinic at The Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.
Sarah's physical and mental health has taken a considerable toll, but Mary remains hopeful, telling the NICHS: "She still has a long road ahead, but we are grateful to have her home."
The NICHS wants to break the misconception that vaping is "just flavored air", and raise awareness of the dangers around vaping. The organization states one 20mg disposable vape "can have as much as 20 cigarettes worth of nicotine in it" and contain "the same harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover and weed killer."
The family's harrowing experience serves as a potent reminder of the potential dangers of vaping, especially among the youth. Through sharing their ordeal, Mary and Sarah hope to raise awareness and urge individuals to reconsider the perceived safety of vaping.
For more information, visit https://nichs.org.uk/vaping.
