A 16-year-old has opened up about how she got into smoking nicotine vapes and fell so sick she was a 'few hours from death' in just seven days.
At the age of 15, Isabella Troncao had already been smoking legal marijuana vapes for 18 months, but when she started dating a guy, he introduced her to nicotine vapes too.
The teenager 'vaped a lot' socially in a bit 'to impress the guy,' despite the device making her 'throat burn'.
Within just a week, she fell sick, detailing how it 'felt like there was a 50lb weight on the left side of her chest,' ending up 'in so much pain' and unable to 'take a full breath in'.
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And when she was left unable to 'get up to go to the bathroom' or 'stay awake,' her mom and brother rushed her to St Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nevada.
After being rushed to hospital, Isabella was reportedly diagnosed with Lemierre's Syndrome.
Lemierre's Syndrome 'occurs when you get a certain rare type of bacterial infection in your throat', according to Healthline.
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"When it's not treated, the infection can spread to the vessels that carry lymph fluid throughout your body. If it's not treated, it can cause serious or life-threatening complications," it adds.
Isabella said that when she was rushed to hospital, doctors warned she was just 'a few hours from death' as a result of her body 'shutting down' because she was in 'septic shock'.
They quickly performed surgery and 'removed one litre of fluid from her lung'.
She said the doctors told her the vaping had likely contributed to bacteria building up in her body - finding a lot particularly 'in the back of her throat'.
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The incident occurred in October 2023 and Isabella has since reflected on her near-death experience.
She said: "Nobody should vape, it's a strain on your lungs and it's making lots of people sick."
Isabella's mom added: "We all do stupid things but they're marketing these vapes with fruity flavours and fancy colours - they're worse than cigarettes."
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Isabella resolved: "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.
"It definitely feels like I've been given a second chance at life."
Poppy Bilderbeck