A teenager from New Zealand has shared a shocking image of his own blackened and shrivelled lung after years of heavy vaping led to multiple collapses and life-saving surgery.
A Habit That Spiralled Out of Control
LeeRay King was just 14 years old when he first tried a vape. The habit quickly escalated into a serious addiction, with the teenager getting through 'four disposable vapes in a week' and using the devices 'all day, every day.' This continued for three years until his body could take no more.
In August 2024, LeeRay, from Wellington, woke in the middle of the night struggling to breathe and with excruciating pain on his left side. His mother, Kylee, recounts waking to hundreds of missed calls. "I decided to take him to hospital and he keeled over in the front seat of the car and burst into tears in excruciating pain," she said.
Multiple Collapses and Radical Surgery
At the hospital, scans revealed a large pneumothorax – his left lung had collapsed. Over the next four months, the same lung collapsed a further four times. Doctors performed a procedure called a pleurodesis to stick the lung to the chest wall, followed by a pleurectomy to remove a lining of the chest wall.
However, the damage was so severe that a third, more radical operation was needed. Surgeons removed a damaged section of LeeRay's lung. In a bid to make him understand the consequences of his actions, they placed the blackened and shrivelled piece of organ in a bag and gave it to him. "It made me realise I had fully damaged my lung. It was because of vaping and how much I was doing it a day," the now 17-year-old said.
His mother described the sight as "horrifying," adding, "I never realised vapes could do this... You’re pretty much intentionally drowning your insides." The family has since decided to bury the lung in their garden to symbolically end the traumatic chapter.
A Growing Warning for Young People
LeeRay's case is a stark example of the severe physical damage vaping can cause, particularly to young lungs. He is now committed to warning others, having spoken at a local primary school. "It was a pain that no one at a young age should be going through. I would tell anyone don’t do it," he stated.
His story echoes that of others, like 12-year-old Sarah Griffin from Belfast, who suffered a lung collapse and spent four days in an induced coma in October 2023 due to heavy vaping. Sarah, who started at age nine, now has permanent lung damage.
Medical experts warn that vaping can cause inflammatory responses deep in the lungs. One potential condition is 'popcorn lung' (bronchiolitis obliterans), a rare but serious disease causing scarring in the airways. Collapsed lungs are also increasingly common among heavy vapers, often caused by air blisters that burst at the top of the lungs.
The signs of a collapsed lung include:
- A sharp chest pain that worsens when inhaling.
- Pain radiating to the shoulder or back.
- A dry, hacking cough.
- In severe cases, a rapid pulse, bluish skin, and prominent neck veins.
LeeRay's message is clear: he will 'never touch a vape again' and hopes his experience will prevent other young people from suffering a similar, preventable fate.
