Arizona Mother's Vaping Nightmare: 'Crispy' Lungs Tear During Flu Battle
An Arizona mother faced a near-fatal medical emergency after years of vaping left her lungs so fragile and "crispy" that they tore during a bout of influenza. Kara Mullins, a 49-year-old sleep coach and mother of four, had smoked cigarettes since age 16 but switched to vaping nearly four years ago, convinced it was a healthier alternative to tobacco.
"I thought I was doing something healthier. I knew vaping wasn't great, but I thought it was better than smoking," Mullins explained, reflecting on her decision that would lead to severe lung damage.
The Rapid Descent into Respiratory Crisis
In December 2025, Mullins contracted the flu from her eight-year-old son. What began as mild shortness of breath escalated rapidly. By month's end, she was gasping for air, prompting her husband, Bear Boykin, to rush her to the emergency room. Mullins has no memory of subsequent events, learning later she had been transferred to intensive care, placed on a ventilator, and then flown to a larger Phoenix hospital after four days.
Doctors placed her in a medically-induced coma, where she remained unconscious for a week. Medical professionals informed her husband that while the flu had caused significant lung inflammation, the residue from her vaping habit—where she used "a pod every two days"—had made her lung tissue brittle and "crispy." This fragility caused the lungs to tear as they expanded during breathing.
"From what I've been told, what the vape does, because of the oils, [it] puts a residue on your lungs and makes them crispy, and that's what caused the damage," Mullins recounted. "Because of the inflammation that I had, the doctors told my husband smoking the vape caused my lungs to tear because they weren't expanding like a normal person's."
Permanent Damage and a Warning to Others
Mullins emphasizes that without vaping, she would have avoided this trauma. "Had I not smoked the vape, I wouldn't have gone through everything I did and have the damage I do now," she stated. Released from the hospital on January 12, she no longer requires supplemental oxygen but struggles with lasting effects.
Doctors believe she has permanent lung damage, including significant scar tissue, necessitating further diagnostics. "I have a lot of scar tissue. They need to do more diagnostics on me but I have permanent damage to my lungs from it," Mullins said. The coma left her with brain fog and memory issues, and she can no longer maintain her once-active lifestyle, experiencing pain when taking deep breaths and difficulty walking long distances.
"After I woke up and [the doctors] explained what happened I was scared for my life. I was scared I wouldn't live a normal life again," she admitted.
Broader Context of Vaping Risks
Mullins' warning emerges as approximately six percent of US adults, or 17 million people, report regular vaping. Usage is highest among young adults aged 18 to 24, with over 15 percent in this group vaping regularly. Among children, about 1.6 million middle and high school students vape, though rates have declined since a 2019 peak.
While vaping is often marketed as a safer alternative to smoking—which causes 90 percent of lung cancer cases—growing research links it to long-term harms like high blood pressure, stroke, and lung damage. E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid containing nicotine, flavorings, and toxic chemicals, delivering substances such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde deep into the lungs. These can cause tissue damage, inflammation, and DNA mutations, increasing cancer risk.
Earlier this year, a medical journal detailed the case of a New Jersey man who died from aggressive lung cancer, believed to be the first directly linked to e-cigarettes.
A Resolute Change and Message
Mullins has quit vaping entirely since her hospitalization. "I have not touched [a vape] since I was hospitalized. My will to live is much stronger than that," she declared. She now urges others, especially young people, to avoid vaping.
"I just want people to know that vaping could permanently damage them, if not even kill them. Value yourself more than that," Mullins concluded, hoping her ordeal serves as a stark cautionary tale about the hidden dangers of e-cigarettes.
