A 16-year-old, who was ‘hours from death’ following a life-threatening lung infection that doctors said was triggered by her 18-month vaping habit, has shared her health ordeal as a warning to others
A 16 year old has issued a stark warning for everyone to quit vaping after her own addiction nearly cost her life. Isabella Troncao, from Las Vegas, narrowly escaped death due to a severe lung infection that doctors reportedly claim was triggered by her 18-month vaping habit.
Last year, Isabella, who was 15 at the time, developed a bacterial infection in her throat, and it rapidly turned into Lemierre’s syndrome – a serious infection that spreads to major blood vessels. It can cause inflammation and blood clots, but can also travel to other organs like the lungs, head and heart, through septic emboli, leading to life-threatening complications like pneumonia, septic arthritis, or meningitis.
For Isabella, the severe condition led to sepsis, and she found herself ‘hours from death’. In order to save her life, she remained in hospital for a month due to blood clots in her throat, lung and left arm and doctors removed a litre of fluid from her lungs.
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Following the terrifying ordeal, the teen is urging everyone to rethink their vaping habits. “It’s a strain on your lungs and it’s making lots of people sick,” she warned.
“I felt like it was a sign of God that I was meant to stay on this earth for a reason. It’s crazy to think I would have missed it in that small time window.” She added: “It definitely feels like I’ve been given a second chance at life.”
Research published last year found that around 5.6 million people in the UK vape, while 2.2 million smokers use both electric and traditional cigarettes. According to University College London (UCL) , the percentage of 16 to 24-year-olds who use disposable e-cigarettes in the UK has dropped from 63 per cent to 35 per cent.
However, the number of people vaping has remained consistent between January 2024 and January of this year. It has been suggested that youngsters are switching from disposable vapes to refillable and rechargeable devices instead of giving up the habit ahead of the ban on disposable and single-use vapes.
Isabella had started vaping 18 months ago to “impress” a potential love interest. She shared: “I started dating this guy and he introduced me to nicotine vapes. I vaped a lot, it was a social thing and to impress the guy I was with. They would make my throat burn and I got sick within a week.”
She recalled: “It felt like there was a 50lb weight on the left side of my chest. I was in so much pain, it was like I wanted to breathe, but I couldn’t take a full breath in.
“I couldn’t get up to go to the bathroom and I couldn’t stay awake. My mum and my brother tried to get me to the car because I couldn’t walk.”
Her condition quickly declined, and she was left unable to get up to use the bathroom or even “stay awake”. By the time she went to the hospital, her mum and brother had to help her get into the car as she was unable to walk, as it took a worrying turn.
At the hospital, Isabella was rushed for an immediate assessment. She reflected: “They drew my blood and it didn’t take long for them to tell my mum I was in septic shock.
“It had spread all over my body, which was shutting down.” She added: “They told me that if I had come in a few hours later that day I would have died, I was definitely close to death so that’s crazy to think about.”
She was admitted to the St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Nevada in October 2023, and doctors informed her that vaping “had definitely contributed to the bacteria build-up in the back of my throat.”
Isabella’s mum, Francesca, 44, had thought her daughter was just suffering from a sore throat at first and wasn’t aware of her vaping habits. “I found the vape in her pocket and she was too scared to tell me where she got it from,” Francesca said.
“She was dating a new boy and she was smoking with him, it’s hard because I blame myself too. We all do stupid things but they’re marketing these vapes with fruity flavours and fancy colours… they’re worse than cigarettes.
She added: “The worst feeling was having someone say they don’t know if she’s going to make it, that was really hard.”
