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Teen girl issues warning after vaping habit triggered medical emergency that left her 'hours from death'
Home>News>Health
Published 15:30 17 Apr 2025 GMT+1

Teen girl issues warning after vaping habit triggered medical emergency that left her 'hours from death'

The 16-year-old had started smoking nicotine vapes just a week before

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

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Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News

Topics: Vaping, Health

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a freelance journalist with words in Daily Express, Cosmopolitan UK, LADbible, UNILAD and Tyla. She is a former Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible.

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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.

Isabella had smoke marijuana vapes but was introduced to nicotine ones too (Kennedy News)
Isabella had smoke marijuana vapes but was introduced to nicotine ones too (Kennedy News)

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.

"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'.

The incident occurred in October 2023 and Isabella has since reflected on her near-death experience.

Isabella was 'hours from death' when she got to hospital (Kennedy News)
Isabella was 'hours from death' when she got to hospital (Kennedy News)

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."

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."

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