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A Florida father says his 20-year-old son is one of many young patients diagnosed with serious illness related to vaping. On August 22, the CDC stated that it was investigating at least 193 potential cases of severe lung disease in 22 states associated with electronic cigarette products. However, Florida does not appear on this list of states.
Dave McKnight told CBS News that his son Walker had been hospitalized in early March for several diseases, including "vicious pneumonia" and adenovirus.
The young McKnight was just two months into his first year at Florida Atlantic University when he became addicted to Juul, his father said. A year later, the decorated gala athlete was at the ICU.
McKnight had received a full scholarship at the FAU. "He is a very remarkable young man, people love him and respect him," his father said. "He was very healthy, worked hard in high school and was one of four teams in his third year."
McKnight said that despite the fact that his son was healthy and athletic, vaping deteriorated his health. And so, when he contracted the adenovirus – a common virus causing respiratory diseases – he could not recover from it.
"If his lungs had been clean, easy, healthy, without this moisture emanating from the steam, they would have fought this adenovirus," McKnight said. "He would not have gone through what he lived."
McKnight told CBS News that he had asked the hospital if they were going to report his son's case to the state's health department or the CDC, but he was not sure if he was not there. hospital had declared that it was not obliged to do so. "That's another problem with all this vaping situation," he said.
CBS News contacted the CDC to find out if McKnight's case was on their radar, as was the Adventhealth Hospital in Orlando, where he had been treated. Cases currently followed by the CDC in other states were reported between June 28 and August 20. McKnight's case came in March, said his father.
According to the CDC, in many cases, patients have experienced progressive symptoms, including "difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and / or chest pain prior to hospitalization. "Some patients have also reported mild to moderate gastrointestinal disorders, such as vomiting and diarrhea, as well as fatigue.
In McKnight's case, he had sinus pressure and flu-like symptoms, his father said. The family thought that he had a simple infection and he went to a hospital near school in Boca Raton, where he was prescribed antibiotics and steroids.
However, shortly after his first visit to the hospital, he was "hit like a freight train," his father said. He was vomiting, shaking, and trembling. McKnight managed to get home to his parents in Orlando and they took him to the AdventHealth Hospital.
AdventHealth doctors admitted McKnight to the USI. "They were totally caught off guard," said Elder McKnight at CBS News.
He was finally released after about five months, but McKnight's father said Thursday that he was back in the hospital after having more respiratory problems. "They are looking to remove his left lung now, his left lung is completely demolished."
"I would not wish anyone," he says, calling Vaping a "big problem." "It upset our family."
McKnight hopes that his son will regain his strength and go through this illness.
At least the patient who has contracted a serious lung disease after a vaping has death in Illinois, state officials reported last week. It is believed that this is the first death in the United States linked to the electronic cigarette.
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