A North Carolina woman who quit smoking because she thought vaping was a healthier option has died after her lungs “shut down.”
Amanda Lee Hall, 44, of the eastern city of Sanford, used to smoke half a pack of Marlboros a day, but in 2014 started using e-cigarettes out of fear for her health.
She switched to vaping, but puffed the device so much that her wife, Kristen Hensley, joked that a “fruity cloud” followed her wherever she went.
But things went awry in the fall of 2019 when the warehouse worker developed breathing problems and fell into a coma. When she awoke, she had difficulty using her hands and a paralyzed larynx. She died a year and a half later.
Many Americans consider vaping to be safe, but there is evidence that e-cigarettes also cause serious lung and heart damage similar to traditional tobacco products.
Mrs. Hall pictured with her vape in a restaurant. The vape is clutched in her right hand
Ms Hall’s widow said she was constantly puffing on her vape. It was so much that she even joked that a “fruity cloud” was following her. Mrs. Hall can be seen steaming in the hospital above
Mrs Hall is above in the hospital receiving help with her lungs. Doctors said the initial damage was probably caused by the fumes
Ms Hall’s widow said: “If you know anyone who vape, ask them to stop. I don’t want anyone to go through what Amanda went through.
“It’s not just the vapes that contain THC or those bought on the black market… It’s also the regular flavored vapes and those with nicotine that also cause the vaping disease.”
She added: “It kills people. I’ve heard several people say they thought the vapor warnings were just propaganda by the tobacco companies to get people back to smoking. It is not true.’
Vapes have grown in popularity across the US, with an estimated 8.1 million Americans now vaping every week, if not every day.
This includes more than 3 million middle and high school kids who are drawn to brands with fruity flavors.
Studies have shown that it puts users at the same risk for heart problems and does not help people quit smoking.
Mrs Hall started smoking cigarettes when she was just 14 years old and continued for 22 years.
At the height of her addiction, she smoked about 10 Marlboro Lights a day. But she decided to switch to vaping in 2014 after her lifelong smoking father had terminal lung disease.
Amanda Lee Hall (right), 44, of Sanford, North Carolina, with her wife, Kristen Hensley, and their dog. She quit smoking in 2014 and started vaping out of concern for her health
After five years of vaping, Ms Hall was hospitalized with lung damage that her widow said was caused by the devices. She is pictured above in the hospital
Mrs Hall started using vapes and was particularly fond of fruity flavours.
Her widow, Ms Hensley, told DailyMail.com: “Almost every picture had her vape pen somewhere. She was vaping non-stop.
“I joked that she carried a fruity cloud with her everywhere she went. She will take it to the cinema or wherever.
Vape addict who fell asleep cradling her vape reveals she has ‘popcorn lung’
Abby Flynn, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, had never smoked a cigarette before but started using e-cigarettes in the summer of 2021 because they were ‘new’.
“When I complained she said it was just vapor and she was just given some low doses of nicotine which helped calm her nerves.”
Ms Hall had been vaping non-stop for five years before she started having breathing problems in September 2019.
She was taken to the doctors and diagnosed with bronchitis and given antibiotics.
But the next day – when the breathing problems continued – she was rushed to the emergency room. Tests showed her blood oxygen level was 65, compared to a normal range for humans of 95 to 100.
Doctors put her in an induced coma and put her on a ventilator to breathe for her so her lungs could “recover”.
After 10 days, she was then transferred to a rehabilitation clinic, where she had to relearn how to use her hands and speak.
People on ventilators may have reduced blood flow to their extremities, such as B. the hands. This can lead to the areas being deprived of oxygen and damaging the nerves there.
Patients may also experience a paralyzed voice box as a result of the ventilator tubes placed in the throat.
Ms Hensley said at the time doctors believed her hospitalization was due to the vapour.
She said: “Doctors thought she had suffered the initial lung damage from vaping.
“All the initial hospitalization was due to the vapor injury.
“After that, they believe she had a previously undiagnosed autoimmune disease which, after her lungs were damaged, launched a full-scale attack on her, believing them to be the enemy.”
Chemicals inhaled through vapors can damage the small airways of the lungs, causing inflammation and scarring, say doctors at Johns Hopkins University.
This reduces the amount of oxygen the lungs can hold with each breath, increasing the risk of numerous health problems.
Ms Hall is pictured above with her vape pen while shopping and sightseeing. She will take it anywhere
Mrs. Hall with her father. She decided to switch from smoking to vaping after he was diagnosed with a terminal illness as a result of smoking
Mrs. Hall presented herself in front of mrs. Hensley’s lung problems suggested. They got married in 2014
An autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system malfunctions and starts attacking the body’s own cells, viewing them as a threat. Ms Hall was diagnosed with interstitial lung disease, in which attack by white blood cells leads to inflammation and scarring of the organ.
Ms Hall stopped vaping immediately after the initial hospitalisation, but continued to struggle with lung problems.
She was hospitalized again in February 2020 for double pneumonia, and again in December 2020 after waking up to find herself turning blue and “barely able to stand”.
Her widow took her to the hospital and doctors rushed to get her inside.
‘[But] When they got to the car to help her, they asked me if she was usually this colour,” said Mrs. Hensley said.
“This was the longest she was on a ventilator from December 30, 2020 to February 4, 2021.”
Tests also showed her blood oxygen levels were in the 50s.
Ms Hall was put on a ventilator in hospital but doctors said she would not recover.
“I firmly believed that her lungs would heal from the vapor injury and she would recover, but I was wrong,” said her widow.
“I was told there was no significant chance of improvement and it was unlikely she would ever survive without the ventilator, especially as her stats hadn’t improved – that’s where they told me to say goodbye.
“I was able to talk to her and hold her hand as she died until she closed her eyes and took her last breath.”
The doctors recorded her cause of death as bleeding after a tracheostomy or when blood from the trachea or trachea enters the lungs.
They also noted secondary causes of staph pneumonia and interstitial lung disease.
Commenting on the loss, Ms Hensley said: “We have lost the heart of our family and it is a loss we will never regain.
“Ever since I lost her, life has been miserable and I have felt disoriented – every day is a struggle to function and her absence is deeply felt.
Amanda wanted others to be aware of the dangers of vaping and the opportunity to share her story, even if it helps just one person, would be great.
“People are dying from this habit.
“With smoking, at least doctors know what the long-term effects are, but it’s new and unregulated.
“Nobody knows what it really does to people.”
Ms Hensley said she has now been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the ordeal and struggles to sleep due to nightmares. She says she also wakes up crying.
“She was the first woman I dated and I was scared at first, but I had so much fun with her,” she said.
“She put me at ease, made me laugh and was just so sweet.
“Life is not the same without her, but my love for Amanda will always live on – she was my everything.
“I hope my wife’s story will help others to prevent this deadly habit and hopefully avoid the same devastating fate we all suffered.”
Since Ms Hall’s death, her family, including her sister Angela, 48, have struggled to get their lives back on track.
She started GoFundMe to help cover hospital bills, where she raised $2,080 (USD) with a final goal of $5,000 (USD).
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
