The 16-year-old had only been using nicotine vapes for a week before things went terribly wrong
A 16-year-old girl has spoken out about how she started using nicotine vapes and ended up in a life-threatening situation just a week later - so severe, doctors said she was only hours away from dying.
Isabella Troncao, who had already been vaping legal marijuana products for about 18 months since the age of 15, started using nicotine vapes after being introduced to them by a boy she was dating at the time.
She admitted to vaping quite heavily in social situations, trying to impress him, even though she said it made her throat burn every time.
Just one week after picking up the habit, Isabella started feeling extremely unwell. She described the sensation as if there were a heavy 50-pound weight pressing against the left side of her chest. The pain became unbearable, and she struggled to take even a full breath.
When she became too weak to walk to the bathroom or even stay awake, her mother and brother rushed her to St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nevada.
At the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with a rare and serious condition called Lemierre's Syndrome.
Isabella had smoke marijuana vapes but was introduced to nicotine ones too Kennedy News
Healthline explains that Lemierre’s Syndrome develops when a person gets a rare bacterial infection in their throat.
"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," the source adds.
Isabella said that when she arrived at the hospital, medical staff warned her that she was only a few hours away from dying. Her body was already shutting down due to septic shock.
Doctors moved quickly and performed emergency surgery, where they drained a full litre of fluid from one of her lungs.
Isabella said that the doctors suspected vaping had played a major role in letting harmful bacteria build up in her body. They found a large concentration of it especially in the back of her throat.
The terrifying event took place in October 2023. Since then, Isabella has had time to reflect on the experience and what it taught her.
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."
Her mother added her thoughts as well: "We all do stupid things but they're marketing these vapes with fruity flavours and fancy colours - they're worse than cigarettes."
Looking back on everything that happened, Isabella said: "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."
