Kentucky Teen’s Lung Collapses Twice After Secret Vaping Habit Nearly Kills Him

A Kentucky teenager who secretly vaped at school for two years nearly died after his lung collapsed twice, sparking urgent warnings from his family about the hidden dangers of e-cigarette use among adolescents.

Cameron Vann, known to friends and family as “Dodge,” picked up vaping from schoolmates at age 15. His mother, Crystal Vann, had no idea about her son’s habit until the 17-year-old stepped off a school bus last September pale and clutching his back in agony.

The teenager’s left lung had collapsed by 50%, requiring doctors to insert an 18-inch tube into his side to reinflate it. Despite the traumatic procedure, Dodge continued vaping—until January, when he was struck by a second, more severe collapse that left him struggling to breathe at school.

Crystal rushed her son back to the emergency room, where staff immediately directed them to Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Doctors warned that Dodge could have died while waiting in the lobby.

“They said he could have died in the lobby. He had surgery this time and they had to scrape off the lung lining, stapling the blebs at the top of his lung, and attach it back to the chest wall.”

— Crystal Vann, Mother

The surgery required doctors to mechanically scrape Dodge’s lung lining, staple fluid-filled blisters called blebs, and reattach the organ to his chest wall. He spent a week hospitalized, and his mother feared for his life throughout the ordeal.

Dodge now experiences chronic pain in his left side that worsens when he puts on clothes or speaks. The nerve damage from surgery makes even the touch of a shirt against his skin excruciating.

“I had shallow breathing and couldn’t take deep breaths at all. I was losing oxygen, I can’t explain how it feels. After the surgery the nerves are dead, even putting on a shirt feels awful when touching it.”

— Cameron “Dodge” Vann

Recent surveys indicate 15.7% of high school seniors reported past-year vaping, with nicotine pouch use surging from 1.4% in 2023 to 4.4% in 2025. Health officials warn that young people face heightened addiction risks due to ongoing brain development, and youth vapers are three to four times more likely to transition to traditional tobacco products.

Dodge has quit vaping cold turkey and is avoiding secondhand exposure entirely. He says he still experiences nightmares about his medical crisis.

Crystal, a self-employed mother of two from Corbin, Kentucky, is now advocating for a ban on vapes and continues taking her son to follow-up appointments. A GoFundMe has been established to help cover his ongoing medical expenses.

“He went through a lot. It was horrible, I thought ‘why him?’ I feared he was going to die.”

— Crystal Vann, Mother