A Kentucky mother is issuing an urgent public warning after her teenage son suffered two separate lung collapses directly linked to his vaping habit. Crystal Vann's son, Cameron "Dodge" Vann, began vaping two years ago at age 15 to "look cool" among friends at school, keeping his habit secret from his family.
The First Medical Emergency
In September 2025, seventeen-year-old Dodge returned from school looking pale and complaining of severe back pain. His concerned mother immediately rushed him to the emergency room, where medical staff performed a chest x-ray. The scan revealed a shocking diagnosis: Dodge had developed a pneumothorax, with fifty percent of his left lung collapsed.
A pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and chest wall, creating pressure that causes the lung to collapse. Dodge's condition was so advanced that doctors needed to perform emergency surgery, inserting an eighteen-inch tube into his chest cavity to remove the trapped air and allow his lung to re-expand properly.
The Second, More Dangerous Collapse
Despite this frightening medical episode, Dodge continued vaping without his mother's knowledge. The situation escalated dramatically in January 2026 when Dodge called his mother from school, struggling to breathe and experiencing excruciating pain.
"He called me from school the second time and he said, 'I'm hurting, but I don't know if it's my lung or not,'" Crystal Vann recalled. "We went straight to the ER. The doctors said he could have died in the lobby."
Dodge's lung had collapsed for a second time, requiring an even more intensive surgical procedure called pleurodesis. During this operation, doctors scraped the lining of his lung and stapled fluid or air-filled blisters called blebs to the top of his lung before reattaching it to the chest wall.
Mother's Emotional Response
"He went through a lot. It was horrible," Vann said emotionally. "I thought, 'Why him?' I feared he was going to die. His friends tried vaping and then he tried it. I don't like it at all."
The Ongoing Health Consequences
Dodge has since quit vaping "cold turkey" but continues to experience significant health complications. He reports lingering pain in his left side that intensifies when putting on clothing or speaking.
"After the surgery the nerves are dead," Dodge explained. "Even putting on a shirt feels awful when touching it. Talking vibrates it sometimes, and it hurts so much. I get stabbing pains in my side and can't go to school."
The teenager also experiences psychological effects, including nightmares about further lung collapses. "I quit cold turkey. I'm not hitting one ever again," he vowed. "I'm trying to stay away from secondhand smoke and everything. I've had nightmares about it."
Vaping Statistics and Health Risks
Dodge's case emerges against a backdrop of concerning vaping statistics in the United States. Approximately six percent of American adults, representing about seventeen million people, report regular vaping. The highest usage occurs among young adults aged eighteen to twenty-four, with over fifteen percent of this demographic identifying as regular users according to 2024 CDC data.
Among younger populations, about 1.6 million middle and high school students currently vape, though this represents a decline from peak usage in 2019.
While vaping has often been promoted as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, which cause ninety percent of lung cancer cases, emerging research reveals significant health concerns. Studies increasingly link vaping to various long-term health problems including high blood pressure, stroke risk, and lung damage.
The Science Behind Vaping Dangers
Vaping devices produce aerosol by heating liquid typically containing nicotine, flavorings, and toxic chemical mixtures. When inhaled, this vapor delivers harmful substances deep into lung tissue, including formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and other volatile organic compounds known to cause cancer.
These chemicals can damage delicate lung structures, potentially leading to DNA mutations, inflammation, and increased cancer risk over time. Earlier this year, medical journals documented the first known case of aggressive lung cancer directly attributed to e-cigarette use in a New Jersey man.
Family's Call to Action
A GoFundMe page has been established to help cover Dodge's substantial medical expenses. Crystal Vann describes her son as "a kind and passionate kid with a big heart for others" who now lives in constant fear of another lung collapse.
"He's so little," she said. "It hurts in his back, and he does not want to go to sleep because it hurts when he wakes up. He's been so brave, but he's also scared, asking me if his lung might collapse again while he sleeps."
The family now advocates strongly against youth vaping and calls for nationwide restrictions on e-cigarette sales. "I say ban on all vapes," Crystal Vann declared. "I don't want another kid going through it. Don't do it just to be cool."
