Jayden Richardson admits that he started using e-cigarettes at the age of 12 in order to fit in, consuming the equivalent of approximately 50 cigarettes per day.
However, the now 17-year-old was left ‘terrified’ when he began coughing up blood on the final day of his family vacation in Turkey in August 2024.
Upon returning home the following day, he was quickly taken to the hospital where doctors initially suspected he had a stomach ulcer, as reported by his mother Elita Richardson.
The family was shocked to discover, however, that an endoscopy revealed severe lung damage in the teenager, attributed to his vaping addiction.
Despite his determination to quit e-cigarettes, Jayden made the mistake of using a vape a few months later while celebrating his birthday on January 10, leading to another episode of coughing up blood.
Just days before this incident, Hollyoaks star Paul Danan tragically passed away after being hospitalized for excessive vaping.
Elita, 43, took to Facebook to warn others about the dangers of vaping, urging them to consider the risks because nobody believes it will happen to them until it does.
Jayden is currently awaiting a CT scan and supports the ban on disposable vapes set for June 2025, vowing to never use one again.
Reflecting on his experience, Jayden said, “I was terrified. I never thought vaping could cause all this.”
“It all started in Turkey. I had some chest pain the night before, but I didn’t think much of it. The next morning, after a quick vape, I started to cough up blood.”
“I called my mom, who was at breakfast, and she said she would come if it got worse. About five minutes later, I was still coughing up small amounts of blood. She came over, and the first time I coughed, it wasn’t too bad.”
“But a couple of hours later, after having some drinks and getting in the pool, I started coughing up a lot of blood. I was pulled out of the pool by a man, and when I went to the bathroom, I was coughing up even more blood. It was a scary experience, especially at my age.”
Jayden managed to fly back home the next day, where his father rushed him to the hospital after he continued to cough up blood at the airport in Birmingham.
Initially, doctors dismissed his symptoms as a stomach ulcer, but a week later, an endoscopy revealed severe lung damage.
Elita recalled, “When I finally got back, they had been in and out of the hospital, dismissing it as a stomach ulcer. I thought he was vomiting blood, but he was actually coughing it up. It was a shock to us all.”
“The consultant said he had never seen such severe lung damage in someone so young. It was attributed to excessive vaping. It was a wake-up call.”
Jayden was given medication to stop the bleeding, and he decided to quit vaping. However, he made the mistake of using an e-cigarette again during his birthday weekend, resulting in another episode of coughing up blood and the need for a CT scan.
Reflecting on this incident, Jayden admitted, “I thought the damage was done and it would heal on its own. I was wrong, and I can’t believe how easily I caused more damage.”
“I now experience frequent pain in my left lung, which is quite concerning. It hurts when I cough and even when I’m sitting still. It’s a terrible feeling.”
Jayden disclosed that he would go through a 10ml bottle of vape juice every two to three days, equivalent to smoking about 50 cigarettes daily.
“Everyone around me was doing it,” Jayden added. Me sentía como que era algo normal para encajar, pero en realidad se convirtió en algo normal hacerlo.
“Estaba vapeando todos los días. Realmente no lo dejaría, para ser honesto. Es solo un mal hábito. Una vez que empiezas, obviamente es altamente adictivo, es difícil de parar.
Lectura recomendada
“Cuando los desechables eran más populares, no sabes qué hay realmente en ellos. Encuentras falsos. Nada de eso es bueno, pero especialmente son muy malos para ti. Todo tipo de químicos.
“No sabes realmente qué están poniendo. Son peligrosos y nadie debería tocarlos. Deberían estar prohibidos en todos los países.
“Si pudiera volver a ese momento cuando empecé, me diría a mí mismo ‘nunca toques uno de ellos’. Es increíble lo peligrosos que son y lo que realmente pueden hacer al cuerpo humano. No te das cuenta cuando lo haces. Simplemente te afecta a largo plazo. Yo nunca tocaría uno.”