A teenager who picked up vaping at the age of 12 to fit in with friends now regrets his decision after a terrifying health scare left him coughing up large amounts of blood. Jayden Richardson, now 17, had developed a heavy vaping habit over the years, unknowingly damaging his lungs to a dangerous extent.
During a family vacation in Turkey last August, Jayden felt mild chest pain but didn’t think much of it. However, the next morning, after taking a puff from his vape, he noticed he had a slight cough and was spitting up small traces of blood. Initially, he dismissed it as nothing serious.
Later that day, after consuming some drinks, he entered a swimming pool, but the moment he did, he started coughing uncontrollably. Within moments, he was coughing up what he described as “pints of blood.” Rushing to the bathroom, he continued bleeding for nearly ten minutes, leaving him shaken and terrified.
Back in the UK, Jayden’s condition persisted, prompting an emergency visit to a hospital in Birmingham. At first, doctors suspected a stomach ulcer, possibly caused by his diet during the vacation. His mother, Elita, believed his eating habits in Turkey—frequent junk food and alcohol—could have contributed to the issue.
X-rays of his lungs showed no immediate concerns, but an endoscopy later revealed extensive lung damage. Doctors were stunned to see such severe damage in someone so young, and after further analysis, they linked it directly to excessive vaping.
Determined to recover, Jayden quit vaping and started taking medication. The bleeding stopped after a few days, and he began feeling better. However, months later, on his birthday, he made the mistake of using a vape again. Within minutes, he felt the same pain in his chest and began coughing up blood once more. It was then that he realized just how much harm he had done to his body.
Now waiting for a CT scan to assess the full extent of the damage, Jayden has vowed never to vape again. Looking back, he wishes he had never started and hopes his story will serve as a warning to others. He now understands how dangerous vaping can be and wants to spread awareness before others suffer the same fate.
