I was left with the lungs of an 80-year-old smoker at 16 after vaping for 6 months
A TEENAGER who switched from cigarettes to vaping was left with the lungs of an 80-year-old after the organs failed.
Ewan Fisher smoked cigarettes but made the switch in order to improve his boxing skills.
But at the age of 16, his lungs failed the night before he was due to start his GCSE exams.
He spent weeks in intensive care and then needed an artificial lung in order to survive.
Ewan spent 10 weeks in hospital as doctors fought to save his life.
Now 20, he says he still struggles with his breathing.
He had dreams of becoming a professional boxer, but now Ewan gets out of breath just walking up the stairs.
Speaking to he said: “I’ve lost my boxing career and I’ve lost a lot of the things that I used to do in life.
“They said that my lungs looked like an 80-year-old who had been smoking all their life, so they must have been pretty terrible.”
Ewan, who lives in Nottingham, now has severe issues with his lungs and said he also suffers from mental health issues.
He said doctors had originally told him that he’d make a full recovery.
In 2020 he said: “They said my lungs would make a full recovery within two years but it’s been a lot longer and I wouldn’t even say they’re at 60 per cent.
“I used to be really healthy. I used to run every night and I can’t do anything any more. When it’s hot it messes with my lungs. I’m on steroids to help them cope.
“I can’t run, I really struggle up hills. It’s ruined all my joints. My life’s changed massively.
“My granddad is fitter than me and he’s 65. When I was in hospital they said I had the lungs of an 80-year-old life-long smoker and I’d only vaped for five or six months.”
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In December 2019 Ewan’s family released pictures of him in intensive care.
Ewan said it had been easy to buy cigarettes and e-cigarettes in 2017 – despite the fact he was underage.
In May that year, Ewan was finding it harder and harder to breathe.
His lungs began to fail and he ended up in Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.
Soon after he was taken to Leicester and attached to an artificial lung or ECMO (extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation) machine.
Ewan developed a condition called hypersensitivity pneumonitis – something he was breathing in was setting off his immune system, with catastrophic consequences.
After returning home, Ewan warned people of the dangers of vaping and travels around the country talking to children about the problems you could face if you vape.
Dispite the dangers, Ewan said others still see vaping as a safe alternative.
He added that the flavours entice kids because they are “really addictive”.
“When I went into the hospital they took my vape and I was vaping blue flush (blackberry flavour) and I had a rhubarb and custard one too.
“It’s that sort of stuff that got me addicted. Those sweet flavours are addictive and they entice young people.
“If you can get sweet flavorus like coca-cola it attracts young people. Every flavour is out there – even cookies and cream.”
The debate over the safety of vaping is rife in America – and some states have already banned the products.
These products also contain higher nicotine levels. EU rules prohibit this.
Experts previously revealed that vaping doubles the risk of youngsters smoking real cigarettes and is linked to heart problems.
Ewan added: “I wasn’t even vaping the high nicotine stuff – I was 6mg of nicotine. I tried the higher ones and it was making me choke. I was about 16 and I’d just started vaping and I took a hit of my mates ones and I was choking for ages.
“If those high-strength vapes came over here it would cause mayhem.”
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