A dad from Cumbria, Mark Blight, wants to warn all parents and individuals about the dangers of vaping after his 17-year-old daughter, Kyla, experienced a life-threatening incident. Kyla had been vaping since the age of 15 and had become so addicted that she was consuming the equivalent of 400 cigarettes per week – vaping an entire 4,000 puffs!
Mark explained, “I’ve been through hell and back with Kyla in the past couple of weeks. I can only attribute it to vaping; there is no other explanation.”
In November 2023, Kyla was rushed to the hospital, thinking she was having a heart attack. However, an X-ray revealed something more shocking – she had a hole in her lung caused by a bleb, a liquid-filled blister-like protrusion. While the hole eventually healed, Kyla’s health took a terrifying turn for the worse on 11 May.
Kyla collapsed at a friend’s house, and Mark received the dreaded call at 4 am – his daughter had turned blue and lost consciousness. In a panic, he rushed her to the hospital, where they discovered that the bleb had burst and her lung had collapsed.
Describing the ordeal, Mark said, “They had to put a drain in her. As a little girl who doesn’t like needles, she screamed. She was on the brink of a cardiac arrest. The operation lasted for five and a half hours, and she even had a seizure on the operating table.”
As a former vaper himself, Mark is now determined to raise awareness about the risks of vaping. He shared, “I used vaping to quit smoking 13 years ago, and it never bothered me until now, after what happened to Kyla. It has terrified me. I would tell parents that watching your child go through this is not worth it.”
Kyla, having experienced the frightening consequences firsthand, has vowed never to vape again. She admitted, “I used to believe they were harmless, even though I had heard about the dangers. But after what I went through, I will never touch them again. This situation has truly frightened me.”
It is crucial that we all educate ourselves and our loved ones about the potential risks and repercussions of vaping. Let’s ensure we make informed choices that prioritize our health and well-being.
