A 12-year-old girl who suffered a lung collapse and spent four days in an induced coma has warned children never to start vaping. Sarah Griffin, from Belfast, was a heavy vaper with asthma when she was rushed to hospital with breathing problems a month ago.
Her mother Mary told the BBC she feared she would lose her daughter. Sarah was getting through a 4,000-puff vape in just a few days, vaping from morning until night and sleeping with the vape on her pillow. Despite it being illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, she bought them over the counter and became addicted to nicotine.
Sarah's asthma and poor use of her preventative inhaler, combined with a head cold, created what her doctor called a 'perfect storm'. An X-ray showed only one lung was working, and she was not responding to treatment. Within hours she was in intensive care and then placed in an induced coma.
After four days, Sarah was gradually brought round but has been left with permanent lung damage. She now does lung exercises typically expected of an 80-year-old. Her mother urged parents to be vigilant, saying: 'People open your eyes, because this is happening all round, and possibly your child too.'
Dr Dara O'Donoghue, consultant respiratory paediatrician at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, described youth vaping as 'a healthcare emergency' that must be addressed urgently. Recent figures show one in five children aged 11-17 have tried vaping, three times as many as in 2020.
