A 22-year-old North Dakota man has been hospitalized for months and underwent a double lung transplant due to his problematic smoking habit.
Jackson Allard was initially admitted to the University of Minnesota Medical Center in October 2023 for stomach pain.
After doctors ran tests, it was discovered that he was suffering from influenza 4 and double pneumonia, which had affected his lungs and oxygen levels.
The young adult had been intubated to give his lungs a chance to heal, but his condition continued to deteriorate and doctors were forced to place him on an ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) machine.
Ultimately, several doctors recommended that Allard undergo a double lung transplant in order to survive.
22-year-old Jackson Allard was found to be suffering from influenza 4 and double pneumonia due to vaping. In order to survive, he had to undergo a double lung transplant
The young adult had been intubated to give his lungs a chance to heal, but his condition continued to deteriorate and doctors were forced to place him on an ECMO machine
Allard's grandmother, Doreen Hurlburt, said: “At one point a doctor said he had a 1 percent chance of survival and we said, 'He's fighting, he's been fighting, how many weeks are we going to give him a chance to fight, we.'” “We will not stop any proceedings or anything like that.”
“He’s just friendly, he’s outgoing, everyone is drawn to his energy and his fun.
“I was sure we were going to lose him. I was sure he wouldn't survive, but in my head I kept imagining him getting home.
“You have to stop vaping, and we told him that over and over again, and he was a heavy vaper.” He vaped all the time, but he said, “It's better than cigarettes.”'
“Well, they said if you smoke cigarettes you'll get lung cancer in 50 years, and if you smoke you'll have permanent lung damage in five years.”
The smoking adult and his mother, Jamie, will remain in Minneapolis for at least six months to attend regular checkups at University Hospital.
Due to the current situation, Allard cannot drink alcohol or smoke and will require another transplant in his life.
According to the GoFundMe page Hurlburt started, the last words he said before he was intubated were: “I'm scared, I don't want to be alone.”
The fundraising page has raised $20,910 toward its $30,000 goal.
Allard's grandmother, Doreen Hurlburt, said: “At one point a doctor said he had a 1 percent chance of survival and we said, 'He's fighting, he's been fighting, how many weeks are we going to give him a chance to fight, we'll.' do not stop any procedures or anything similar.
Due to the current situation, Allard cannot drink alcohol or smoke and will require another transplant in his life
According to the GoFundMe page Hurlburt started, the last words he said before he was intubated were: “I'm scared, I don't want to be alone.”
The vaping adult and his mother, Jamie, will remain in Minneapolis for at least six months to attend regular checkups at University Hospital
According to Johns Hopkins University research on vape ingredients, thousands of chemical ingredients in vape products have not been identified.
However, among the substances identified were several harmful substances, including caffeine, three chemicals never before found in e-cigarettes, a pesticide and two flavorings that may be linked to possible toxic effects and respiratory irritation.
A University of North Carolina study also found that the two main ingredients in e-cigarettes, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, are toxic to body cells.
“New data suggests links with chronic lung disease and asthma, as well as links between dual use of e-cigarettes and smoking with cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. Michael Blaha, director of clinical research at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, said.
Based on the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey, over two million American middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes, with more than eight in 10 using flavored e-cigarettes.
The process of a double lung transplant is not without risks.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the human immune system protects the body from foreign substances and even if the patient has the best possible match with the donor, the body will try to attack and reject the new lung.
To reduce the risk of organ rejection, patients are given immunosuppressive medications that they must take for the rest of their lives.
In addition, there is a risk of infections, kidney damage, osteoporosis and cancer.