02.12.2025 13:00
In New Zealand, 17-year-old LeeRay King had a part of his lung removed due to the electronic cigarette he had been using since he was 14. The young man, who was rushed to the hospital by his family and was shocked to see the blackened lung tissue, said, "I will never touch an electronic cigarette again."
LeeRay King, who lives in Wellington, New Zealand, paid a heavy price for his vaping habit that he started at the age of 14. One night, he woke up with unbearable pain on his left side and was urgently taken to the hospital when he couldn't breathe. Examinations revealed that King's left lung had collapsed, meaning he had suffered a severe pneumothorax.
SUCCESSIVE SURGERIES
The young man experienced lung collapse four more times in the following four months. Doctors initially created adhesions between the lung and the chest wall to prevent fluid accumulation, but this was not sufficient. Then, a part of the chest wall was removed. In the last operation, the severely damaged part of the lung was completely removed.
"IT WAS A SHOCK OF MY LIFE"
After the surgery, doctors showed King the blackened piece of lung they had removed in a bag. The 17-year-old described the sight as "a shock of my life." He now says he will "never touch an e-cigarette again."
"THE MOMENT WE OPENED THE BAG, WE BOTH SCREAMED"
Kylee King, the mother who rushed her son to the hospital, recounted the events with these words: "When we opened the bag, we both screamed. We didn't know it could cause this much damage. They portray e-cigarettes as harmless, but young people are unknowingly poisoning themselves."
EXPERTS WARN
Experts reiterate their warnings that the use of e-cigarettes can lead to serious respiratory and circulatory problems, especially for young people.