17-year-old Daniel Ament is considered the first person to undergo a double lung transplant after damaging his lungs through vaping nicotine and THC. Vaping took away Ament’s promising future in varsity sports and becoming a Navy SEAL. Daniel Ament’s cause for his declining health was not being educated about the dangers of vaping, so he decided to share his story with other kids to avoid them falling in the same trap.
When Did Daniel Ament’s Vaping Start?
Ament’s first knew about vaping in middle school from his friends. Then, he gave into it during his sophomore year of high school. After he turned sixteen in November 2018, Ament was vaping socially mostly on the weekends. After a friend left his Juul device in Ament’s car, Ament started vaping every day. A store clerk would rarely ask for identification to prove they were at least 18 when buying Juul pods. Before Ament got the chance to try out for his high school football team, he was experiencing headaches, a bad back, and soreness all over. Six hours after seeing a pediatrician, Ament was having trouble breathing. He was sent to the ER where he was honest with the doctor about his vaping. This confession may have saved his life.
How Did Daniel Ament’s Health Decline?
Vaping caused Ament to need a lot of supplementary oxygen to the point where he needed to be put on a ventilator. He was transferred to another hospital where he was put on an ECMO machine which oxygenates blood and pumps it into the body when your organs are failing. The inflammation, scarring, and dead tissue in Ament’s lung were the reasons he got placed on the lung transplant list. On Oct 15, Ament finally received his new lungs. Once Ament regained consciousness, he was weaned off the ventilator and had to learn to breathe, talk, and walk again.
How Has Daniel Ament’s Life Changed?
Ament now takes more than 20 pills a day. Every day, he goes to pulmonary rehab, has weekly clinical appointments, blood draws, and a bronchoscopy every three months to make sure his body is not rejecting the new lungs. He also cannot be exposed to anything that can make him sick. Ament has also started his own nonprofit, Fight4Wellness, to spread the message of the dangers of vaping. Ament plans to tell his story and put his new lungs to good use.
At Alta Loma Transformational Living, you will meet knowledgeable, compassionate professionals that understand addiction in all its forms. Alta Loma uses an integrative and holistic approach to treat addiction and mental health issues. No treatment is one-size-fits-all, where you will have a team of experts prepared to create your customized treatment plan. We offer care for your mind, body, and spirit, so that you can heal from the inside out and look forward to a lifetime of sobriety and wellness. If you are ready to take the first step in your recovery, please call us at 866-457-3843.
