Overview
A 22-year-old North Dakota man named Jackson Allard has received a miraculous double lung transplant after years of heavy vaping left his lungs failing and doctors gave him just a 1% chance of survival.
Allard, from Fargo, started vaping when he was just 13 years old. Over the next decade, his vaping habit escalated to the point he was going through two vape pods per day. By the time he was 20, Allard’s lung function had dropped to just 25% of normal capacity. His shocking story highlights the potential dangers of vaping and serves as a stark warning, especially to youth, about the impacts of long-term vape use on lung health.
Vaping Leads to Respiratory Failure
In early January 2024, Allard was admitted to a Minnesota hospital with respiratory failure. Tests showed his lung function had deteriorated to just 10-15% capacity, leaving him struggling to breathe and needing oxygen support.
Doctors determined Allard’s lung damage was irreversible and untreatable with medication alone. They gave the young man a 1% chance of survival without an urgent double lung transplant. Surprisingly, a matching donor was found within 48 hours, and Allard underwent the extremely high-risk transplant procedure.
Jackson Allard’s Plummeting Lung Function
| Age | Lung Capacity |
|---|---|
| 20 years old | 25% of normal |
| 22 years old | 10-15% capacity |
Double Lung Transplant Performed Despite Poor Odds
The double lung transplant is an extremely complex procedure involving attaching the airways, blood vessels, and bronchial tubes on both lungs. Out of the small number of patients who require a double lung transplant, just 20% survive longer than 5 years.
Given Allard’s rapidly declining health, doctors warned his family he might not survive the operation. However, not going forward with it meant certain death within days or weeks.
Miraculously, Allard made it through the grueling 7-hour surgery and awoke to functioning lungs. He is still recovering in hospital but has been taken off oxygen support. Doctors remain cautiously optimistic about his prognosis.
Vaping Impacts on Lung Health
While vaping is often promoted as safer than tobacco, Allard’s ordeal demonstrates the technology’s potential dangers – especially with prolonged heavy use. The vapor emits numerous toxic chemicals that inflame and damage delicate lung tissue.
As vaping rises in popularity, medical groups have warned regulators about the technology’s health impacts. Last month, the American Lung Association called for stricter safety standards, advertising limits, and bans on flavored products that appeal to youth.
Quotes on Vaping Health Impacts
“Research shows that vaping makes young people over five times more likely to get COVID-19 and experience worse symptoms. We are just beginning to understand the long-term health effects of vaping and must protect our youth from this rapidly growing epidemic.” – American Lung Association President Candice Wilks
“This man’s story should be loudly broadcast as a warning of vaping’s irreversible threat to lung health for generations to come. We cannot stand idly by while this industry targets and poisons our youth.” – Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar
What’s Next
Allard faces a difficult recovery, including building up strength and stamina and taking immunosuppressant medication to prevent his body rejecting the transplanted lungs. If all goes well, he will require regular checkups and lung function tests for the rest of his life.
Meanwhile, his shocking case is renewing scrutiny of vaping safety standards. There are bipartisan calls for tighter regulations like flavor bans and restrictions on marketing towards youth. Public health groups argue such steps are vital to prevent more vaping-related health tragedies. Tragically, some experts warn Allard may be just the first of many young vapers to require urgent lung transplants.
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