LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- "If I would have just said no, it's that simple."
Those were the words 17-year-old Tyler Ware told Fox 59 reporter Brett Kast as he sat in Peyton Manning Children's Hospital, just days after being released from the ICU.
He spent six-and-a-half days there on life support fighting a lung illness until a trip to the emergency room revealed something worse, according to a report by Fox 59. Tyler then revealed to doctors the possible cause.
"Tyler was vaping," Stacie said. "Because he was vaping, his lungs were damaged."
Unknown to his mother, Tyler had been vaping nearly every day for two years.
"His lungs were just destroyed, basically," said Dr. Nizar Kherallah with Peyton Manning Children's Hospital. "A massive destruction to the fabric of the lungs."
Doctors had not choice but to place Tyler on a ventilator. His future as a high school basketball player and dreams of joining the military began slipping away. All his family could do was watch.
"(I) cried a lot," Stacie said. "I stayed by his side as much as I could."
Tyler survived. In less than a week he was off the ventilator and began walking again. It's still unclear if any long-term damage will result from the illness, but Tyler is hopeful he can make a full recovery.
"He's lucky," Kherallah said. "He's very lucky."
Now Tyler and his mother are speaking out, warning others about the dangers. They hope his story will inspire others to quit.Â
"It was scary opening up," Tyler said. "I was embarrassed. I was ashamed. But at the end of the day, me being honest with my doctors that I was vaping, that I was doing all the harmful stuff, it probably saved my life."
"These kids think it's not going to hurt them because it's not smoking," Stacie added. "But Tyler is proof that it can hurt you, and it can hurt you bad."
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2,600 people have been hospitalized so far in the United States because of vaping, and at least 60 patients have died. The CDC said the "vast majority" of those cases were caused by Vitamin E acetate, a chemical linked to illicit THC products.
It's unclear what products or chemicals may have caused Tyler to be hospitalized.
Copyright 2020 WDRB Media and Fox 59. All Rights Reserved.
