A terrified mother has warned of the dangers of e-cigarettes after her daughter developed a deadly, life-long lung condition linked to vaping.
Brianne Cullen, 17, began using disposable vapes ‘in secret’ aged 14 to ‘ease anxiety’ triggered by the return to school post Covid lockdown.
But one afternoon four months a go, the keen cheerleader from Nevada, the US, called home out of panic – she was struggling to breathe.
Her mother, Christie Martin, rushed Brianne to a local emergency department where tests revealed she was suffering devastating bronchiolitis obliterans – better known as ‘popcorn lung’.
The condition is a rare type of lung disease, triggered by inflammation in bronchioles — the smallest airways in the lungs — which become scarred.
Steroids and an inhaler can reduce inflammation and help with breathing, but in severe cases, a lung transplant may be required.
Sufferers require life-long care to manage their symptoms and are advised to avoid air pollution, cigarette smoke and people who are unwell, who could pass on infections.
Recalling the ordeal, the estate agent said: ‘She called me all of a sudden and said she couldn’t catch her breath.